bstreeter Review of The Brothers

The Brothers (1998)

Hands down ... one of the coolest, smartest, and most funny filmsI've ever seen.

[10/10 · 4 December 2000]

I saw this short (I understand it's being made into a bigger budget feature already) at the Arizona International Film Festival, where it was one of the top finalists in competition. I come to find out later that "The Brothers" was in the midst of a big, national festival tour--picking up awards left and right. I sure am glad it stopped into our neck of the woods. Now, I'm not a big fan of film festival shorts--especially comedies, because they usually rely on lowbrow, slapstick humor for their gags. But right from the start, "The Brothers" took on a much more subtle, intelligent, and satirical tone in its writing and directing style. With that stated, the audience (myself included) was laughing so hard within the first five minutes that it was tough to catch all the details. I'd love to see it again, because it's definitely one of those films that you can watch several times and pick up nuances and details underneath the surface that will make the film even more enjoyable each time around the block. My wife and I talked about it for weeks afterwards. I don't ever remember witnessing that kind of reaction in a theater setting--nonstop laughter, random applause. The crowd was so completely into the film; it was quite a phenomenon. I think there was even a standing ovation at the end of the film. Everybody was talking about "The Brothers" after the screening. I don't want to give away too many details about the plot, but writer/director (Figg) takes a very honest and original look at white kids trying to grow up and find their identities in a homogenous suburban America. I'd put the style of the film in the same ballpark as a Coen brothers comedy like "Raising Arizona" or a Wes Anderson film like "Rushmore." I was thrilled to read that Figg just finished filming a full-blown feature version of "The Brothers," starring one of the guys from NSYNC, some NBA and professional baseball players, and some other pretty big names. I'm not surprised he got the support and cash needed to make this film again for a wide theatrical release. I can't wait to see what these guys have done with "The Brothers" this time around. I'm sure the feature will be a huge success. If Figg can make that good of a film for just a few grand, I can only imagine what this kid can do with some serious production dollars. Keep your eye out for "The Brothers" when it hits theaters sometime in 2001. I'll be the annoying guy in the back of the theater saying, "Hey, I saw this film a few years back when it was just a little, baby short!"