Brothers By Blood

By: Kelly Kearney

The film Brothers by Blood, adapted from the novel Brotherly Love written by Peter Dexter, starts off with a shocking dive off a rooftop that sets the tone for the entire story. Recently compared to The Town meets The Fighter, director Jérémie Guez tells the story of how one family’s tragedy sets off a ripple effect of pain that is all but impossible to overcome.

When a young Peter Flood (Matthias Schoenaerts) witnesses the death of his younger sister the aftermath of that pain destroys his family. Dealing with the loss of his child and his wife’s declining mental health, Peter’s father (Ryan Phillippe) dives headfirst into his vengeance that eventually leads to his own demise and his son’s inability to escape fall out. This circle of violence sent the traumatized Peter to live with his uncle and cousin Michael where he learned about the tethering of family ties and how even the threat of death could not break them. With his sister and father’s tragic ends marinating Peter’s mind in guilt, a darkness was born, and it quickly becomes inescapable. Now, three decades later, Peter is still struggling with his past while trying to extricate himself from his family’s business with the Philadelphia mob. As his cousin Michael (Joel Kinnaman) makes his way up the ranks of the crime syndicate, Peter finds himself stuck between family loyalty, his cousin’s riptide of violence and his own tidal wave of pain that has left him thrashed upon the shores of his own scarred psyche.

Right from the opening scene we catch a glimpse of the family dynamic between the two cousins and it only builds from there. One cousin appears to adopt the role of keeper to the wayward brother who gets his jollies off of plummeting to his almost demise. It seems the bond between the cousins, raised as brothers, places Michael in the supportive role and Peter, the dark and broody tragic figure, as the one who needs to be kept. As the film progresses, we find the opposite is true. Tempting death was, and is, Peter’s way of escaping the numbing guilt he felt for decades. And instead of being a supportive brother, Michael goes out of his way to use that to his advantage. Unfortunately for Peter, breaking the chains of his family’s fate is no easy task, especially when faced with Michael’s increasing cruelty and criminal ambitions. As Michael claws his way to the top of the ranks in the Irish mob, the choice is clear for Peter: save his cousin, a man he loves like a brother, from himself or continue on as a willing participant in his family’s cycle of violence.

Like most mob stories out of the “City of Brotherly Love” the Italian and Irish factions of crime are at war, but that really is not the point of this tale. In fact, the gritty crime ridden streets of Philly seem to only exist in the background, simply adding to the feeling of an overwhelming darkness that works like a catalyst for Peter’s escape.  As the script struggles to paint a fresh look on this tired mob tale, the performances are what stands out the most. Joel Kinnaman shines in his role as mob enforcer. And if you are used to his work in projects like “The Killing” and “Hanna,” prepare yourself for the horrors of Michael. With his street-smart mouth and his unhinged brutality, Michael Flood becomes the driving force behind Peter’s reckoning with his past and, quite frankly, my inability to watch any scenes with animal cruelty (you have been warned). As difficult as it is to watch Michael abuse horses, dogs, his friends and family members – as a villain, Kinnaman comes alive on screen. Unfortunately, the script does not support the heavy weight of talent in this cast as Schoenaerts (The Old Guard) never gets a chance to evolve outside of the stiff and quietly subdued Peter, which is a miss when it comes to the actor’s skills.

Where the words on the page pigeonhole the characters, the cinematography breathes life into dark recesses of every alley and row home we see.  In a way, the camera allows the filth of the city streets to become its own unspoken character. With its overcast skies and various shades of grey enveloping the concrete shadows of urban life, Philadelphia never looked so ominous.  When the camera does manage to leave the streets and backroom mob deals to head inside, we find the characters at the local boxing gym. It is another place where Michael uses his clout to brutalize anyone who gets in his way and the viewer can almost feel the wind coming off the furious fists pounding on opponent’s flesh. The editing of the fight scenes are seamless, but the grit of Michael and Peter’s life is displayed in the washed out colors and tones of each camera shot, with blood being the only thing that stands out in this monotone landscape.

The brilliance of this piece is in its minimalism, with the camera consistently holding the tone of the film more so than the script itself. And as the story, which often muddles through confusing jumps back and forth between Peter’s past and his present dilemmas with Michael, the look of the film remains clear and consistent while building a mood where the viewer can tap into the feelings that overwhelms Peter. Outside of the boxing ring and Michael’s volatility, the film is light on action, which often takes place off screen to make room for all of the flashbacks. Hearing about the violence is much different than witnessing it, and the same can be said for the romance between Peter and Grace (Maika Monroe). After a slow burn build up between the two, it never progresses past a clothed kiss in the final fifteen minutes of the film. If this was a choice by the director to downplay the violence and the lovemaking, for an American mob tale, the lack thereof is noticeable.

Brothers in Blood will not blow your mind, but if you are a fan of Joel Kinnaman and want to see him flex his acting muscles as one of the more despicable characters to run the streets of Philadelphia or if you are looking for a new spin on the same stale mob tale, you should skip the full price theater ticket and settle on a streaming night from your couch. Just make sure to cover your eyes anytime there is an animal on screen. Horses might not have been harmed in the making of the movie, but my heart for all things furry and cute certainly took a hard and devastating punch.