My Take on the Movies
A Mini-Review of
FOUR BROTHERS
A. L. “Toni” Anderson

The long-awaited new John Singleton film, Four Brothers (2005) opened in theaters this weekend. I knew that it would be full of action, and that it was. It was also full of more twists and turns than Lombard Street. (Where have I heard that before?)

The film stars Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg, Tyrese “Baby Boy” Gibson, André “3000” Benjamin (of OutKast), and Garret Hedlund (Friday Night Lights). If you can imagine a more motley crew of “brothers” (two black and two white), then your imagination far exceeds my own. They are foster parented by the beloved Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan), whose murder they return home to avenge.

Bad-asses are required in order to deal effectively with the hard-core streets of corrupt Detroit, and bad-ass is what they are—one ex-con, one ex-Marine, one ex-rock star, and one ex-real estate developer whose business has been destroyed by local crooked politicians. The Mercer Brothers are under-appreciated by the police and the mob, alike.

The entire story-line consists of tracking down the murderers of their “saintly” mom. They tease each other unmercifully, as brothers often do, but their cohesiveness seems somehow counterfeit and forced. Each brother takes his own trips down memory lane with Mom, but no one ever recalls their lives before being united. Neither do they seem to relive any shared memories.

The action is presented through gun battles, fist fights, and cold-blooded killings. There is one major car chase (although sadly on flat ground), which ends in the only way a good car chase can, with both cars literally wrecked.

The police are represented by Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) and Josh Charles, one good cop and one bad. Other cast members are Taraji P. Henson (Jeremiah’s wife), and virtual unknowns Sofia Vergera (Angel’s girlfriend), Chiwetel Ejiofor (a mob boss and hardened criminal). A small part is played by Barry Shabaka Henley (Lackawanna Blues and Collateral).

The worst part of this film is that none of the characters seem to really “get next to” the viewer. The best part is that the viewer is kept in suspense until nearly the end as to guilt or innocence, right or wrong. Regrettably, not having reached a real connection by the closing credits, the viewer just might not care.

By all means, go see it for yourself. You might find something in it that this reviewer missed.

[© 08/14/2005]