Film Review: "The Sisters Brothers" (2018).

"Brothers by blood. Sisters by name." This is The Sisters Brothers. This black comedy Western crime drama directed by Jacques Audiard, adapted by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain, and based on the novel of the same name by Patrick deWitt. It's 1851, and Charlie and Eli Sisters are both brothers and assassins, boys grown to men in a savage and hostile world. The Sisters brothers find themselves on a journey through the Northwest, bringing them to the mountains of Oregon, a dangerous brothel in the small town of Mayfield, and eventually, the gold rush land of California -- an adventure that tests the deadly family ties that bind.

In 2011, it was announced that the film rights to deWitt's novel had been sold to John C. Reilly's production company, and Reilly was set to play one of the brothers. Four years later, Audiard announced on the radio station RTL that he would direct the film, his first English-language feature. In late April 2016, Deadline Hollywood reported that Joaquin Phoenix had joined the project. In February 2017, Variety reported that Jake Gyllenhaal had also been cast, later announcing that Riz Ahmed joined as well. By early June, Rutger Hauer, Carol Kane, and Richard Brake rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, with a budget of $38 million, principal photography commenced, and took place in Bucharest, Romania; Almería, Spain; and Gironde, France.

The film stars Reilly, Phoenix, Gyllenhaal, Ahmed, Hauer, Kane, and Brake. The film is an interesting one thanks to the fascinating characterisations and performances given by the cast, especially Reilly and Phoenix.

One interesting thing about the story is that it appears that the writers really did include a lot of research and attempted to create a lot of accurate details in the characters and in the story. The film sports pretty much everything one would want in a Western, and though it's not always eminently artful, it is rarely anything less than entertaining. The film is one of the finest modern Westerns to come along since the genre decided largely to pack up and ride into the sunset several years ago. It has an energetic flow, and a genuinely rugged, exciting feel, unlike many of the more bloated, picturesque examples of the Western genre. This is just one hell of a tight ship all round and anyone from action fans, to western buffs, to just folks who like decent films should bring plenty home from this puppy. Despite many flaws and plenty of missed opportunities, the film could still be recommended for all western fans. It's difficult to assign responsibility for the most serious of this film's shortcomings, but one thing is clear: somewhere along the way, the creative process misfired. Highly stylized fashion-wise but awkwardly unfocused in its plotlines, it aims for the western iconography of Clint Eastwood, but never gets past its own directorial hurdles. Most of the movie is above-average, but Reilly and Phoenix's performance is what makes it a must-see.

Simon says The Sisters Brothers receives:

Also, see my review for Rust and Bone (De rouille et d'os).