Rating: 
Summary: The three dirtiest people you'll ever fall in love with...
Review: It's impossible to praise "Brother's Keeper" too much. Not only a superb documentary, it's one of the best movies of any genre I've seen. Even after a half-dozen viewings, it holds up."Brother's Keeper" is one of those rare films in which everything perfectly falls into place. It's not just the documentation of an odd murder trial in a forgotten part of the US, but a multi-leveled story about -- well, just about everything. One of those many things is a cautionary tale of how the legal system can and will do _anything_ to convict _somebody_, whether or not a crime has been committed. It's a perfect real-life example of why The Police and the Prosecutors Cannot Be Trusted. For me, the best thing about "Brother's Keeper" is the way a town of what "we" would consider moronic hicks displays a level of intelligence, common sense, and compassion that "educated" folk rarely, if ever, approach. "Brother's Keeper" also has one of the most heart-rending scenes you'll ever see. Keep the Kleenex handy. The DVD is an improvement over the LaserDisk. It's slightly sharper (though not much -- the source material is 16mm film) and the colors are brighter and less muddy. Contrary to some listings, this is neither a widescreen film, nor is the sound stereo. I've seen "Brother's Keeper" rated variously as G or R (!!!), but it has no official MPAA rating. Parents concerned about what their children view should note that a live pig is butchered in graphic detail. There are also several scenes covering the police's invention of a mind-bogglingly preposterous "motive" for Delbert murdering William. For those who haven't seen the film, I won't reveal it, but it's something most parents would prefer not to discuss with pre-teens. Absolutely, unreservedly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Praiseworthy? Sure! Commendable? You betcha!
Review: Now, the arena of film-making is highly competitive. Everyone knows that. Kids grow up idolizing famous directors, producers, etc., and we're all pretty tired of hearing about it. (Don't you just wish that a film would soon come to erase the competition and render any further film-making unnecessary?) That's why I was so thrilled when I watched Brother's Keeper. For, this is The definitive film of the past quarter-century. Forsooth, the greatest documentary of all time! And for this reason American folk should praise God that such a film has been made, for it means that the film industry as we know it will soon collapse, having come to recognize that film-making no longer holds value after the making of such a perfect movie as Brother's Keeper. Brother's Keeper is not only both heart-rending and uplifting, but it is at the same time a harbinger of terrific things to come. Namely, the signaling of the film-industry's long-awaited demise and the gradual transfer of it's power into the sweaty, calloused hands of Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Praiseworthy? Sure! Commendable? You betcha!
Review: Now, the arena of film-making is highly competitive. Everyone knows that. Kids grow up idolizing famous directors, producers, etc., and we're all pretty tired of hearing about it. (Don't you just wish that a film would soon come to erase the competition and render any further film-making unnecessary?) That's why I was so thrilled when I watched Brother's Keeper. For, this is The definitive film of the past quarter-century. Forsooth, the greatest documentary of all time! And for this reason American folk should praise God that such a film has been made, for it means that the film industry as we know it will soon collapse, having come to recognize that film-making no longer holds value after the making of such a perfect movie as Brother's Keeper. Brother's Keeper is not only both heart-rending and uplifting, but it is at the same time a harbinger of terrific things to come. Namely, the signaling of the film-industry's long-awaited demise and the gradual transfer of it's power into the sweaty, calloused hands of Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Brother's Keeper
Review: Simply one of the best films I have ever seen. It has stayed with me for years.
Rating:
Summary: Brothers Keeper
Review: This is one of the most wonderful films I have ever seen. Why it was not given the academy award for best documentary the year of it's release I'll never know. This film will captivate you from begining to end. This is a sad yet masterfully told story of a simple people who by the death of a brother are propelled into the not so simple world of the judicial system. It is also a feel good story of a town who will do most anything to back their own. Im sure after seeing this Documentary you will be as moved as I was.
Rating:
Summary: A penetrating glimpse into rural America
Review: This is the story of the murder trail of Delbert Ward, one of four outcast elderly brothers in the town of Munnsville, New York, population 500, not far from Onieda. The brothers lived together in a dilapidated shack, raised cows and rarely came to town. The didn't bathe or shave much and were generally outcasts. And then, one of the brothers died and his brother was accused of his murder. The town banded together to help him as it seemed as if he were coerced in confessing. He had an IQ of 63 and could neither read nor write. The other brothers were equally as simple. The trial got national media attention, and even Connie Chung came out to interview Delbert and the people of the town. How this all effected everyone concerned is painstakingly recorded in this documentary. Us city-folk rarely get such a penetrating glimpse into the lives of a rural community and the townspeople, and the three surviving brothers all shine with humanity. We get to know the people. We get to see the trial. We hold our breath during testimony. Rumors fly. The case becomes absurd. All filmed with utmost compassion. This is not a fun movie to watch but it rings with a universal truth and the viewer comes away with an enriched sense of humanity.
Rating: 
Summary: Differences can leap to suspicion
Review: This moving video shows how difficult life can be those of us who do not fit socially. These simple brothers, who loved and cared for each other their whole lives, lacked the sophistication and social framework to deal with the complicated events and social accountability brought on by one brother's death. The quality of the storytelling is top notch and appears to have been as even-handed as it could be.
Rating:
Summary: A dark, disturbing, yet riveting documentary
Review: This one of the most profoundly disturbing movies I have ever seen. The documentary details the events surrounding the trial of Delbert Ward for the alleged murder of his brother Bill, two of four elderly brothers living as near-hermits in a tiny shack near the rural township of Munnsville, New York. After an autopsy revealed that Bill might not have died under natural circumstances, Delbert was questioned and signed a confession, though he might not have been mentally competent to do so. Initially, the viewer responds to the sheer oddness of the Ward brothers, their way of life, their extraordinary social isolation, and the way of life they have carved for themselves, which was utterly unlike that of the rest of American society. At times, one feels one is taking a vacation trip along the edge of the abyss. Gradually, however, the film takes on far more nuanced and subtle aspects in relating their story to the town as a whole, and their growing support of one of their residents being judged and accused by outsiders. This is not a movie that clears up any mysteries or comes to any firm conclusions. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky start off with a perplexing possible crime and end in a confusing fog. One doesn't know quite what to think (though a possible mercy killing of Bill, who was ill at the time of his death, seems a possibility). But the depth and power of the film is undeniable, and it unquestionably belongs on a short list of the best documentary films of recent decades.
Rating:
Summary: A dark, disturbing, yet riveting documentary
Review: This one of the most profoundly disturbing movies I have ever seen. The documentary details the events surrounding the trial of Delbert Ward for the alleged murder of his brother Bill, two of four elderly brothers living as near-hermits in a tiny shack near the rural township of Munnsville, New York. After an autopsy revealed that Bill might not have died under natural circumstances, Delbert was questioned and signed a confession, though he might not have been mentally competent to do so. Initially, the viewer responds to the sheer oddness of the Ward brothers, their way of life, their extraordinary social isolation, and the way of life they have carved for themselves, which was utterly unlike that of the rest of American society. At times, one feels one is taking a vacation trip along the edge of the abyss. Gradually, however, the film takes on far more nuanced and subtle aspects in relating their story to the town as a whole, and their growing support of one of their residents being judged and accused by outsiders. This is not a movie that clears up any mysteries or comes to any firm conclusions. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky start off with a perplexing possible crime and end in a confusing fog. One doesn't know quite what to think (though a possible mercy killing of Bill, who was ill at the time of his death, seems a possibility). But the depth and power of the film is undeniable, and it unquestionably belongs on a short list of the best documentary films of recent decades.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST SEE!
Review: Three, hapless, elderly dairy farmer brothers, live happily in filthy squalor on their family's modest spread in rural New York. When one of them turns up dead in the bed they all share, the authorities are suddenly all over them like white on rice. The locals are amazing as they rally around "their" elderly "boys" even though, until the alleged "murder," no one in town hardly ever even spoke to them. Superb illustration of the concept that the spirit of the law is far more important than its' letter.
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