Sisters Brothers a ponderous, existential Western

Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly in The Sisters Brothers. Image courtesy Annapurna Pictures.

There ain't much that moves fast in The Sisters Brothers. Aside from the rapid gunfights and the trigger fingers of its stars, the movie mostly takes its time to set up the action, drifting from scene to scene with a simple, logical flow. Sometimes the wandering begins to feel more like meandering, but The Sisters Brothers mostly takes fully advantage of the time it gives itself, telling a philosophically heavy story about family and dreams complete with violence and some wicked dark humor. 

 

John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix star as the eponymous siblings/legendary Oregonian gunslingers Eli and Charlie, respectively. They work for the wealthy, powerful, and mysterious Commodore (Rutger Hauer), who sends them on a mission to kill chemist Hermann Kermit Warm (Riz Ahmed), a pseudo-prophet with ambitions of building paradise in Dallas. Assisting the Sisters is detective John Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal), who becomes entranced by Hermann's message, humility, and abundant love of humanity. Hermann and John travel to San Francisco in search for gold, although Eli and Charlie pursue them relentlessly. Along the way the Sisters must overcome nature, alcoholism, and a rival gang of bounty hunters under the orders of the powerful Mayfield (Rebecca Root).

Despite a fairly action packed and dramatic opening, The Sisters Brothers is far more about the adventure of the journey than the mission. It's an existential trip through the woods of Oregon and California, with discussions ranging from fathers and horses to changing the world one commune at a time. Director Jacques Audiard, who wrote the adaptation alongside Thomas Bidegain, effectively winds the clock and lets the characters stumble into profundity and self discovery. For a Western in which brains and blood splatter everywhere, The Sisters Brothers spends significant time pondering the meaning of the violence.

All of the malaise results in The Sisters Brothers suffering from a notable genre malady. Westerns aren't known for telling stories quickly; the preference is to mosey toward a conclusion, minimizing the urgency to keep the audience in the same mindset as the characters. There isn't much else to do in the woods besides talk and think. When done well it's a great, often engaging cinematic technique, especially for movies with ambition and a lot of characters to corral. Sisters Brothers lingers a little too long in the second act though, going from an easy pace to a crawl before the calamity that ensues in the final act. Given the plot's lack of direction, a little more urgency transitioning from act two to act three would have done wonders for the film.

The issue is less of a true fault than an annoyance, because even with the slowdown the movie offers more time spent with the eponymous siblings. Charlie and Eli have a relationship that's equal parts destructive and supportive, enabling their very worst behaviors but saving each other from ever being too far gone. Charlie's a dangerous drunk, but Eli is around to keep him upright and on the horse. Eli is lonely and lacks the social ease of his brother, but Charlie is around to keep an eye out for his older brother. Reilly and Phoenix have a brilliant rapport with each other that makes their squabbles and bonding believable, and The Sisters Brothers gives them ample room to grow their relationship. 

 

At the same time, the film uses their discussions to contrast their wants and desires. Westerns are often driven by ambition, spurred from the historical pursuit of gold, opportunity, and the allure of the American Dream. As a result of fulfilling their Manifest Destiny, Westerns often reward characters for their ambition, emphasizing the theoretically heroic nature of the quest in which the wilds must be tamed. But unbridled ambition is a dangerous thing, luring otherwise smart and logical people to pursue quixotic schemes while ignoring the dangers of the situation, as is the case with Sisters Brothers. Charlie, John Morris, and Hermann seek greatness at the cost of their personal being, not caring about the potential for disaster.

Then there's Eli. Even though he is considered the lesser Sisters, Eli has the simplest, most direct vision of his life. He seeks neither fame nor fortune, but instead just wants a life with a small farm, a shop, and his brother at his side. Sisters Brothers shows him the greatest favor, because he is generally sweet and kind even amid his murderous sprees. Eli does his job very, very well, but he views it as a means toward a peaceful life. Even toward the end when the dynamic flips and Eli gains control the film prevents him from going too far, because this film isn't about the big dreamers like Charlie, Hermann, or John. It's about folks like Eli, whose wildest dream is the simplest life.

Review: Four out of Five Stars

Click here to see the trailer.

Rating: R

Run time: 121 minutes

Genre: Western

tl;dr

What Worked: Story, Dialog, Themes, John C. Reilly, Riz Ahmed

What Fell Short: Pacing of the second act

What To As Well: High Plains Drifter, Dead Man