To begin with, I'll just say that this was the best non-epic film I've ever seen. I was sceptical originally, but this film just totally blew my mind. I didn't think gangster movies could get this insanely good. But Four Brothers is. The general idea (though most people reading this will already know) is this: Four adopted brothers (the Mercers) reunite in Detroit (the ex-hometown of 3 of them) to bury their murdered mother. Bobby and Angel (Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson) are your average degenerates, and the oldest of the lot. Jerry (Andre Benjamin) is a family man trying to make something of his hopeless life, and Jack (Garrett Hedlund) is the youngest, and the most messed up. It doesn't take long for the brothers to decide the investigation by the police isn't going to be enough, and thats when the fun begins. One of the great things about this movie is that its not just some excuse to shoot a lot of people. The whole start of the film is spent establishing the strong bonds the brothers share. They aren't like actors pretending to be brothers, they're just like brothers. It sounds insulting to say that they're acting, its that good. The dialogue isn't the stuff of intellectuals. The language is bad, the jokes crude (but non-the-less often hilarious), but it doesn't seem out of place or gratuitous. It all works toward building up the atmosphere, and it works perfectly. The action scenes are great. Action isn't really my thing, but this I enjoyed. The humour helped out through most of these scenes (though toward the end of the movie, it subsided, which is just as well, the last few action scenes being too intense to allow for jokes), and it was a lot of fun to watch. But the thing that really drew me in to the film was the emotional side: There wasn't any of that 'we're so tough, we never cry' sh!t that you see so often in Hollywood movies. It was very realistic, and thats something that Hollywood usually skips out on. (Unfortunately). The characters had feelings and motives (other than plain violent revenge), and it worked. I'm not big on crying in movies, but this one got me. Some films are sad, and some are just devastating. I was devastated. Kudos go to Mark Wahlberg and Garrett Hedlund for their performances: Bobby was charismatic (most of his lines were improvised), hot-headed, and just plain brilliant to watch. Jack was damaged, and Garrett Hedlund did a beautiful, subtle job putting across the inner-workings of his characters mind. The 'bad things' that had happened to Jack before he joined the Mercer family are never really mentioned, but the impression is strong. I was really intrigued by him. Hedlund would have been just 20 at the time, and its no wonder his career is taking off so well. He was picked up for a part in Troy (thats a blockbuster movie there) within a month of moving to LA. He ain't just a pretty face: you don't get picked up that fast if you aren't talented. Bobby and Jack's relationship is a wonderful thing: Jack is notably Bobby's favourite, and he protects his little brother as best he can, though he gives him as hard a time as possible. They confide in one another, and I'm glad the film makers weren't too busy making Bobby macho to do that. Overall, I just have to say that I was completely amazed by how incredible this movie was. Its the kind of movie that might appeal to both males and females, having combined the elements stereo-typically loved by either sex. Absolutely worth the money, I recommend it above all things. Movies this good are rare, so don't miss your chance.
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