REVIEW – “The Sisters Brothers” Redefines the Meaning of a “Traditional Western”

by Joe Hammerschmidt

As emphasized with an end-of-calendar release last year that I couldn’t screen until early January, I found much proof that the genre of American Westerns simply isn’t my cup of tea. Maybe classic old-school works when done on point, but never has one this decade really grabbed me, kept me glued to my seat, and willing to grow invested in the development of an enriching character(s). And all it took was a French director putting a European spin on a filmic subculture that’s as Americana as it gets. Parisian born Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) helming his first English-language feature, with a cast of mostly Americans and Brits, and placing it amid a diverse Romanian/Spanish backdrop.  These elements alone are enough to craft a new modern classic for the genre, something well deserved after many a costly misfire. The Sisters Brothers does come very close to achieving full masterpiece status; but factor in Patrick DeWitt’s novel, which Audiard and co-writer Thomas Bidegain adapt with a fervent passion, and its grip on an honest identity flies right out the window. There was plenty I had enjoyed with their work, but that enthusiasm would still leave me a little cold.

Rest assured, this film plays best when considered most as a strong character-driven tale. And the film’s four leads really give their all in what may be the finest acting performances, that will NOT receive any Academy attention; I’d be surprised if there were to be. The two Sisters siblings: focused man-of-action Eli (John C. Reilly), and strategy-influenced drunkard Charlie (Joaquin Phoenix), lurk in the shadows of prospecting times as a pair of hitmen at the height of the west coast gold rush. Their travels lure them into the seedy small town of Mayflower, Oregon, a community driven on fate, and a smidgeon of false hope as fellow ravenous gold hunters merge forward for their cut. Of course, while riches are a perk, business falls first, with their latest target likely screwing them over if not too careful.

Their boss, the rather hidden Commodore (Rutger Hauer, whom I swear was impossible to notice all throughout the picture, or maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough), assigns them to hunt down the nefarious Kermit Hermann Warm (Riz Ahmed), a noted biochemist claiming to have uncovered a major secret for the gold business. Simply put, he’s affixed a concoction when, poured into a sufficient water source, can turn the nearby rocks into actual gold. Of course, the two siblings’ responsibilities are simple enough: extract the formula, then eliminate the individual, and don’t let one’s own greed overrule their common sense thinking. Warm, meanwhile, is facing his own issues, a serious debt, and the looming emergence of hard-boiled detective John Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal), equally determined to reprimand the eccentric scientist much like the Commodore, only more professionally biased. Make matters worse, Morris winds up befriending his target, even becoming co-partners in the secretive product.

Phoenix and Reilly are a slight rusty when it comes to a free-wheeling serious work, the pair having aimed a little lighter in recent years. Yet one puts the pair in a room, and the camaraderie, their raw chemistry is tough to ignore. Given I’m gleefully excited for Reilly’s animated return next month in Ralph Breaks the Internet, there’s no way I wouldn’t be exhumed with the tiniest amount of joy for another live-action role that could easily be rewatchable with enough time past. Having Phoenix weigh him down, however, that is the deterrent. The secondary lead, who earlier this year played a card of rapacious enigma in You Were Never Really Here, struggles to go beyond what would be your standard western comedy sidekick. Not necessarily stereotypical, but just a drag to watch on screen, only delivering in a pair of key moments where sibling pride is on the line. When united together, they do work well, but it’s just Phoenix that was the issue, causing the rest of the cast to weaken in his presence.

I wouldn’t necessarily blame Phoenix’s performance; needless to say, he’s brash, honest, and easy to love. The material he’s given to work with simply doesn’t fit too well with the actor. Audiard and Bidegain seem to promise a unique piece of filmmaking, and again it starts out that way, very promising, yet managing to come up just so close to the mark but not enough to be pushed into the green. There were many pleasant moments past the nearly wordless prologue proven quite effective to establish a deep, dark comedy tone in place, kinda Coen-esque, though not specifically. It’s sufficient, but nowhere near spectacular as its stylistic expressions make great reference to your typical 70s western, but then try to modernize those sensibilities to the point where the palette is dulled, and the action on screen almost repeats on itself. Still, Benoît Debie’s (Submergence) cinematographical choices, often bleeding into the time of day with a firm reliance on natural light, and a few soliloqual long-beat tracking shots, bears no equal; it’s in a class of its own that future westerns, should there be another in the near future, ought to take notice of.

Audiard is essentially stuffing too much into his tale, to where the runtime is a little extensive, stretched out rather thin. It needed to be maybe 20 minutes shorter, free from any unnecessary subplots to allow that brotherly bond to germ, and perhaps more significantly, embrace the accidental friendship between Morris and Warm. Ahmed and Gyllenhaal are somewhat starved for time to build their own bond. Sure, antagonists may not deserve an equal due in the spotlight, but when they’re written a little better then their enemies, the tables manage to turn well in their favor, something I would’ve strived to see more of if they couldn’t be the film’s direct focus. Also deserving of attention will be a few supporting players that will have earned some appreciation. Carol Kane appearing as the Sisters’ doting mother in a pivotal scene, Fargo’s Allison Tolman in a brief part as the assistant to a doting Mayfield tavern owner, played with a bitingly accurate satirical spin by Brit comedienne Rebecca Root. And it is worth mentioning, Root is a trans actress portraying a non-trans character, taken very straight and with a faint hint of intimidation. The important thing for me was just how ambiguous the character was portrayed; the concept of gender needn’t apply, just the value of one’s personality. Root is an absolute winner for those merits, with the hope that could slowly lower the walls down.

Complimented further by a boisterous, yet familiar Alexandre Desplat score, and era-appropriate costumes worthy of award attention through the talented Milena Canonero (The Grand Budapest Hotel), I knew I was departing the world of The Sisters Brothers with a bit of a mixed bag. Feeling rather miffed as I left the theater, I was very sure the pieces which made Audiard’s triumphant English debut, and hopefully not his last, made for a wonderful film, but they just couldn’t gel too well. A very complete cast, gripping visuals, an unwavering bloodlust, and the usual merits of a standard period drama, that all should combine well into a fall movie season masterpiece. I felt that vibe coming off quite strongly as the quiet action played out, but felt cheated out of something a little more enriching once the credits began to roll like there could’ve been more to offer with the time given, or perhaps time cut away to focus on what mattered most. It’s a wonderful film, but also an incomplete film; determined to break past the standard western film convention, yet settling for stopping its noble attempt once they get far enough ahead. A common conundrum to be felt, and I hope that may not occur again with other films of its stead before it turns into a dirty habit by other directors. Bottom line, Audiard will remain a driving indie force in America, Reilly is still one hell of a character actor, Romania never looked lovelier, and Gyllenhaal just makes the screen light up by not doing much at all. And that, end of the day, might just be good enough. (B)

The Sisters Brothers opens in Seattle this weekend, Friday 10/5; Regal Meridian and Cinemark Lincoln Square, with additional theaters expected to follow; rated R for violence including disturbing images, language, and some sexual content; 121 minutes.