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Brother

Brother

List Price: $29.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The point
Review: It seems that many have missed the main idea of the movie, it's not really about going around and shooting everybody who is bad. This movie really portray's peoples morals and relations towards each other. How they were and how they changed in a new govermental structure. There is something to think about in this movie and there is a lot to learn. Considering that many univercities use it in sociology classes. This movie might not have hollywood special effects,it does not follow same senceless plot,and it doesn't have fearless Rambo running around like in majority of action movies. But it shows how things are with ordinary people. I woiuld say that this movie has a bite of harsh reality. I would highly recommend this movie. Also i would like to point out that if you saw Brother then you should see second movie Brother 2, which takes place in USA.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best " postSoviet time " Russian films .
Review: Just a kid . Passing by a first scene of the movie ... at wrong place , at wrong time . And we glad , he did . After few minutes he gets our full attention . We realise , he just cameback from the war . We don't know , which one ... but we do . Russian policeman asked him , what exsecly he did there ... I was in the office ... a clerk ,- he unswers . But we know , he didn't . This film reminded me American movie " Coldblooded ". Very quiet , simple , coldblooded and likebale guy . Honest and lifesmart . We understand , that he crossed his line in other place , and now he just doing his job - surviving himself , and saving his brother and few friends from agony and brutality of " NEW " mother Russia . Very deep and realistic film . Very solid 5 stars . Exellent soundreck too .
PS : As Afghan veteran , I can feel Sergey Bodrov's character ... He is so lost in fake reality of modern Russia ...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pulp Fictionski?
Review: Thematically similar to films like Pulp Fiction and Snatch (although the storytelling is refreshingly simpler), Brother chronicles Danila's (Sergei Bodrov) experiences when he sets forth to the Big City, in this case, St. Petersburg. He hooks up with his brother (Viktor Sukhorukov) who works as a hitman in that city. Interesting things happen when he agrees to take on a job originally contracted for his brother.

And just like the two aforementioned films, Brother explores the seedy/sleazy underbelly of a big city by having Danila interact with various colorful characters.

Told in little vignettes with each scene fading in and out from black, director Alexei Balabanov gives us an involving narrative about the roguish Danila. Although he doesn't hesitate to cap other lowlifes (and a married woman's husband), use drugs, he goes out of his way to help and befriend the defenseless and protect those not involved in one of their contracts. His code of honor makes him some sort of Russian Wise Guy/Robin Hood.

The movie also gives us a glimpse of post-Soviet Russia and how the West and its capitalist values has encroached the former Communist stronghold. That (and the endearing performance of the actors, especially Sergei Budrov) makes the film worth watching, since the plotline is basically a well-trodden path in Hollywood and British gangster cinema.

So if you're waiting for a Hollywood remake, don't. It isn't as groundbreaking as Hong Kong films, but with a liberal dose of grittiness, black humor and a not-your-usual-locale charm, it is still a very entertaining piece of world cinema.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A taste of grim Russian reality
Review: This movie is excellent in that it gives you a clear view of many Russian idiosyncracies that Americans often find difficult to understand. The look and feel of the film is authentic to St. Petersburg of that time. (I was living there, and many scenes, such as the extortion in the marketplace, are familiar.) Opinions are strong, life is difficult. The movie is dark, grim, and a bit bloody. It is not for the faint-hearted.

The plot is not fashionably complex and it leaves lots of questions unanswered. You sometimes scratch your head and say "why?" to yourself after certain things occur. However, students of Russian culture and other Russophiles will eventually figure out the "why?"--there is no logical reason, as many things occur in modern Russia that are non-sensical.

Students of Russian may wish to get the English sub-titled version, as the slang is pretty thick throughout the film.

The music is excellent. The mood and tone of this young man's journey to meet his criminal brother in St. Petersburg is reflected well in the choice of soundtrack. Danila, the young man admirably played by Sergei Bodrov, is enigmatic yet noble in his defense of certain unfortunates in the movie. He is a modern-day, brutally Russian, Robin Hood. At the end of the movie, you find yourself cheering for Danila, and hopeful. For more, you'll need to watch the sequel.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Poorest example of russian film I've ever seen
Review: Unlike the rest of the population, I found this movie to be nothing of what the reviews said it would be: Simplistic and underdeveloped plot, little to no character development (partly the script's fault, partly bad acting), and very little (and even that is very superficial) commentary on Russian society. The only redeeming value is given by the contrast of two supporting characters' impact on the main character. I've seen a good deal of modern Russian film, and this one is just a passing craze and should be viewed as such. If you want to watch really good Russian film, look elsewhere.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: True or False
Review: While I have not seen any Duke Nukems rampaging through the streets of my town I can tell you this movie barely touches the surface.
This movie's low budget means that the reality is not shaded by sfx. And the soundtrack (probably set them back more than the movie itself) is very nice indeed. Once you watched this, watch Brat 2 - better than any Die Hard I can tell you.


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