Director
Jacques Audiard
(Dheepan, Rust and Bone)

Starring
John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal
What to make of a Frenchman’s take on a Canadian’s novel of an American western? There’s a lot to unpack in that. Based on Patrick DeWitt’s novel of the same name, The Sisters Brothers is the story of Eli and Charlie Sisters (John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix), notorious assassins hired to track down and murder a man who claims to have discovered a way to reveal gold sitting within a riverbed.

The premise here isn’t bad, but what actually follows is a long winded character exploration that seems to be having an identity crisis. There are numerous shifts in direction throughout The Sisters Brothers; from dark comedy, to a gritty western, a buddy/road movie and at times a poignant character piece. One or two of these themes may have worked together, but the combination of all four created an ill-focused mess of a movie that dragged itself across the finish line. A film should never be hard word to get through, but this clock-watcher sure was, particularly in the second half.

The lack of focus here is a great shame, because there was a plethora of talent to work with. John C. Reilly in particular was a real standout, and he makes you wonder why he continues to waste his time on films like Holmes & Watson, as the man has talent to burn. Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal also put in solid performances, although the strange, indistinguishable accent of Gyllenhaal was a head scratcher. The cast made the most of the little direction they had to work with, but overall this won’t be a highlight on any of their CV’s moving forward.

If the film was going to remain focused in any one area, it should have been in the comedic stakes, as this is where it shone brightest. The subtlety in the dark humour was a real treat, but it was simply too sparsely spread.  Due to the lack of direction, it will be a film that appeals mostly to fans of the cast, and those who like films that shake up genre norms (even if poorly executed).

The Sisters Brothers will make its way to Australian cinemas via the Alliance Française French Film Festival throughout March and April. Tickets are available here.

2 stars

Trailer
THE SISTERS BROTHERS

Moviedoc thanks the Alliance Française French Film Festival for the invite to the screening of this film.

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