Jacques Audiard's “THE SISTERS BROTHERS”

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

I was ready to abandon this film about two murderous hitmen (brothers) pursuing a gold-seeking chemist in Oregon and California during the Gold Rush about halfway through. While the story is interesting, the casting wonderful, and the music intriguing, the way the movie is photographed and edited is at first disorienting and often oddly framed.

But I kept with it and I’m glad I did. The relationship between the two brothers played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix unspools in a recognizable and sensitive way despite the murder and carnage they pursue. One is questioning how long they can keep this up. The other doesn’t want to discuss the future. What changes everything is gold but not in the way you might expect. Yes, greed is definitely involved but how its pursuit is illustrated takes the movie in an odd and unexpected direction.

This is definitely worth a look especially if you like the unusual. But be patient. Above all, don’t expect a “typical Western.”

Review copyright (c) 2019 by Dennis D. McDonald