Proteus
Posts 3
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10/7/2007 2:29 AM
posted awhile ago
Top 5 Films about Brothers
#1 - Rumble Fish. This astonishingly beautiful film was so far ahead of its time critics tarred, feathered, and ran it out of town. It is, however, an achingly emotional story about the effects of time, distance, growth, and alienation. It's a love-it-or-hate-it film, and many will be put off by it, but those who can appreciate it will almost certainly adore it. It may be Coppola's best.
#2 River's Edge - in keeping with the 1980s, this portrayal of sibling rivalry and suburban alienation in a lower-middle-class home reveals more about the time it was made than any other movie of 1987. It is Keanu's best performance, and although much of the film is terribly cheesy and hammy, heavy-handed and predictable, it retains a nostalgic charm and a surprising relevancy today.
Both #1 and #2 feature Dennis Hopper very prominently. This is coincidence. Both were made shortly after his dedication to sobriety. this is probably not coincidence.
#3 City of Lost Children. One & "petit frere" compare very nicely with the hysterical infants from the beginning of the film and the narcoleptic sextuplets played by Dominique Pinon. There's something recognizably fraternal in the siamese twins, too, although they are sisters.
#4 Brødre. Anyone who saw this 3 years ago need never see "in the Valley of elah" or its ilk. This movie nailed the narrative of the fractured vet's effects on his ociety, and the most painful effects on his family. The product of a country with almost no modern experience of war, and the product of a woman director, this film captures the male ego and identity in a frank, respectful, and startlingly honest way.
#5 Fists in the Pocket - as sstartling today as it was in its 1965 debut, this portrait of a family in the midst and grasp of insanity is horrifying, but startlingly recognizable in the modern world. Most families have their moments, and most brothers in particular bear either the brunt or the responsibility for countless acts and thoughts of violence toward their own family.
Nice picks, gentlemen. Ki-ka-wah-pah-min mino.
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badecca
Posts 2
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1/6/2008 11:51 PM
posted awhile ago
Re:Top 5 Films about Brothers
I'm just going to throw this out there, because your post sparked this association. I'm going to say Gone Baby Gone. Yes, I know it's not about two brothers onscreen, but I can't help but think of the behind the scenes of that movie - the older Affleck brother passing the baton to the younger, and really bringing out the best of his talents. I'm thinking of the story of the wayward brother who lost his way in the glitz and glimmer of hollywood and then came back to his home town to make good with his old surroundings and roots. I think it's a terrific movie, especially Casey Afflect and Amy Ryan's performances, but I couldn't watch Casey without constantly thinking about Ben and imagining what their dynamic during the conception and filming might have been like. The film absolutely stood on it's own, but the story of the two brothers was a real integral part of the experience for me.
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