In 1850s Oregon, a gold prospector is chased by the infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers.
There’s something unique about “The Sister Brothers” and it’s the darkened comedy vibes. There’s a duality in this film you notice from the very beginning. Just the idea of putting Joaquin Phoenix across from John C. Reilly in a western sends a message. Equal parts terribly serious and achingly funny, “The Sisters Brothers” dives into its literary feel wholeheartedly in an unabashed western tale on par with “True Grit” and even (dare I say it?) a Cormac McCarthy novel.
Meet Charlie and Eli Sisters. Both lawless assassin gunmen traveling the West doing the bidding of the villainous ‘Commodore.’ The two brothers take care of each other through various challenges but the time has come where Eli (the more light-hearted of the two and John C. Reilly) decides he wants out. The story follows these two brothers as they pull one last job for the Commodore: capture and torture a German chemist for his secret gold-extraction serum. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the scout sent by the Commodore to find Riz Ahmed’s Hermann Kermit-Warm. As the two brothers close in on Gyllenhall and Ahmed, all manner of obstacles challenge the brothers to fulfill their mission. Inevitably, things go horribly astray.
Based on a novel (that I’d very much like to read) you can feel the literary structure of the film. Dream sequences populate the spaces between scenes and every scene begins with a keyhole view of the setting. All of the male characters discuss in different lengths their relationship with their fathers ad nauseum. We realize quickly that fatherhood, and the influence of our fathers, guides the deepest parts of our personality no matter how much distance we put between us and them.
John C. Reilly brings some levity to every scene he’s in while Joaquin Phoenix plays the murderous brother. To be honest, I had to warm up to their relationship as both play a little stiff to start, but once I caught on to their dynamics I enjoyed them thoroughly. Frankly, the Gyllenhall and Ahmed scenes shone almost immediately to me. I found Riz Ahmed practically mesmerizing to watch. There’s a good reason I struggled with the main protagonist’s relationship though: it’s painfully honest.
As often as Reilly and Phoenix play their relationship as comedic, there’s a dark undertone of perpetually abusive codependency between the two. This dynamic plays itself out on screen in the sudden and merciless violence both of them dish out in nearly godlike fury. Even Reilly, who’s the most soft-hearted killer there is, doesn’t think twice about strapping two guns into his belt and walking out to murder four gunslingers sent after him. This authenticity rings true throughout the entire movie.
I learned to love this movie through its beautiful set pieces and unflinching look into the west. By sowing levity into the script it warmed the story up for me and allowed me to sympathize with these lethal men. In the end, when greed invariably punishes all the characters one way or another (and levels the playing field between the two brothers), we breathe in the sadness and desperation behind these two men. I thoroughly enjoyed the natural cinematography and the frank dialogue. Intelligently written, this film’s set design shines as an honest portrayal of the West. I liked this movie quite a bit and it stuck with me, although I imagine plenty of people will walk away wondering how a movie could be so violent and think it’s funny. I’d recommend to an audience to go and support. You’d be surprised at its soothing ending for what is such a cognitively dissonant film. A strong blend of opposing forces in tone and texture, “The Sisters Brothers” was a joy to watch, out of the blue, and to deliberate on for days afterward.
Available on Digital HD January 22nd and on Blu-ray & DVD February 5th
