Friday, May 16, 2014

Four Brothers - Suspenseful Action Movie with Emotional Ties

Before watching this movie, all I knew was that John Singleton directed this movie. We're doing this director's project with my English teacher, so our group chose John Singleton, director of this movie and Boyz N' the Hood and others.

Never thought I'd like this sort of lost gem.

Four Brothers tells the story of the Mercer brothers: Bobby Mercer, played by Mark Wahlberg, Angel Mercer, played by Tyrese Gibson, Jeremiah Mercer, played by Andre Benjamin, and Jack Mercer, played by Garrett Hedlund all trying to find out what happened in the tragic murder of their mother Evelyn Mercer, played by Fionnula Flanagan.

Throughout the movie we mourn, laugh and live through the same perspective as the four brothers. We see a number of conflicts that occur within the brothers' scope of life. Detective Green, played by Terrence Howard, tries to catch up skeptically with the brothers and their actions throughout the movie, cutting them off when the brothers try to play detective. Jeremiah, from the beginning, already starts to distance himself from the other brothers, indicating a divide from the rest. Even the characters Sofi, played by Sofia Vergada, and Camille Mercer, played by Taraji P Henson, have their supporting roles exemplified by these conflicts.

The cold blood sensations of the movie are illustrated by the amazing snowy Detroit, further freezing us into our seats. All of the decisions played out from the torn down church to the apparitions of Evelyn Mercer to Evelyn Mercer's house all bring us further and further into the plot the way we want.

Victor Sweet, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and his ring seem truly fearsome, especially with their intimidating nature in the sweetest of places. Vic is the main antagonist of the film, going toe to toe over a curtain against the four brothers. Trying to keep in the background, the four brothers inch closer and closer to the truth, tearing down this curtain.

The things that I didn't like about Four Brothers was how static the characters seem to be. They all seem to go back to their original ways. Bobby still is violent and impulsive. Angel still tries to trick his way out of situations. There seems to be little to no way that the Mercers are even remotely changed.

Also, the whole confrontation at the end seemed anticlimactic considering that we know what was going to happen and who will win. I feel like a movie that cuts off suspense at the end isn't really something that would truly hit home.

I give this movie a 4/5.

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