10/29
Emmet Walsh (Judge Farful)
Story
Two criminal twin brothers, one of whom is trying to reform, embark on a dangerous journey of heist. Facing legal troubles, gunfights, and family drama, they must reconcile their differences before their mission self-destructs. Final film appearance for actor M.
(March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024) For some reason, genuinely funny comedies have become an increasingly rare commodity in recent years, so it’s a real treat when one comes along that satisfactorily tickles the funny bone
Such is the case with director Max Barbakow’s third feature, a wild and wacky tale of a dysfunctional crime family trying to recover the hidden loot from a heist carried out by the family matriarch (Jen Landon) 30 years earlier. The group is led by twin brothers Jady (Peter Dinklage), a career criminal recently released from prison, and Moke (Josh Brolin), a talented but long-reluctant thief now trying to get back on his feet. The goal is to find and recover a stash of emeralds stolen by their long-absent mother (Glenn Close), who originally stole the goods but has since been free — and who now reappears unexpectedly to collect the jewels for herself.
Emmett Walsh in his penultimate on-screen appearance) in exchange for a hefty share of the stash
So the unlikely trio begins their quest to acquire the jewels, an odyssey that finds them aggressively pursued by Officer Farful (Brendan Fraser), a corrupt prison guard who has arranged Jady’s early release through his father, a corrupt judge (M. And along the way, the sides of this whimsical romp make mistakes in a series of cleverly inspired comic challenges, including Jada’s new space girlfriend (Marissa Tomei), Moke’s pregnant wife (Taylour Paige), and an extremely horny gorilla, among others. It’s also a cautionary tale about the notion that there’s no honor among thieves, even if they’re members of your own family.
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While some segments of the film are clearly a bit over the top and over the top (particularly by Fraser), most of this romp is quite good, reminiscent of one of the Coen brothers’ films (though admittedly not as polished). If nothing else, it’s at least a huge step up from the director’s last film, the positively awful Palm Springs (2020) (my worst film this year), and a significant improvement over many of Amazon Prime’s recent disappointing offerings, an achievement largely thanks to the performances of its all-star cast (particularly the three leads). “Brothers” is by no means an epic piece of cinema, but it’s a good way to have a good laugh at home on a Friday night with a big bowl of popcorn, and that in itself is quite satisfying.