Brother
1997
Danila idolises his older brother, deciding that he wants to follow in his footsteps after being discharged from the Russian army. The problem is his brother is a contract killer for the mob! This doesn't bother Danila, his brother can do nothing wrong in his eyes. Cue some brutal violence, comparable to a Russian version of .. Read more
| Starring | Sergei Bodrov Jr., Svetlana Pismichenko |
|---|---|
| Director | Aleksei Balabanov |
| Genres | Thriller, World Cinema |
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Brother
Danila idolises his older brother, deciding that he wants to follow in his footsteps after being discharged from the Russian army. The problem is his brother is a contract killer for the mob! This doesn't bother Danila, his brother can do nothing wrong in his eyes. Cue some brutal violence, comparable to a Russian version of PULP FICTION. At turns both funny and disturbing, this romp through modern Russian mob-culture is always extremely stylish and compelling.
| Starring | Sergei Bodrov Jr., Svetlana Pismichenko |
|---|---|
| Director | Aleksei Balabanov |
| Studio | PALISADES TARTAN |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Thriller, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: Russian |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jun 2003 Production year: 1997 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Balabanov's third feature is a snappily edited, contemporary gangster thriller, shot in semi-documentary style, which... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
No Emotion
Brother is an odd, unsettling movie with a fascinating central character. If, like me, you are deeply conditioned by Hollywood to expect certain cliches from Action/Adventures you'll find this very refreshing. Danila is a former Russian soldier who claims to have spent his time in service at HQ, pushing pencils. His jarring talent for violence betrays a very different story. But that's not the story presented here. Instead we see Danila traveling to Petersburg to find his brother, where an odd tale of inept mobsters and rubbish folk rock bands unfolds. The morality of the film, and the anti-hero that Damila represents is so different from the usual Die Hard/Rambo type, that you can't help but marvel at the humanity of the story, the bleakness of modern Russia, and the weird bonds that constitute family.
The characters are human, flawed and well drawn, the plot is a bit confusing at times, the photography is vivid and cold, and the violence is sparse, realistic, unglamorous and totally key to the story. No sweaty righteous hero crashlanding a blazing aircraft on Sunset Strip amidst a ballet of machine guns here.
Don't miss - in the extra features - one of the most dreadful music video ever committed to tape. -
Most recent members' review
View all -
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
No Emotion
Brother is an odd, unsettling movie with a fascinating central character. If, like me, you are deeply conditioned by Hollywood to expect certain cliches from Action/Adventures you'll find this very refreshing. Danila is a former Russian soldier who claims to have spent his time in service at HQ, pushing pencils. His jarring talent for violence betrays a very different story. But that's not the story presented here. Instead we see Danila traveling to Petersburg to find his brother, where an odd tale of inept mobsters and rubbish folk rock bands unfolds. The morality of the film, and the anti-hero that Damila represents is so different from the usual Die Hard/Rambo type, that you can't help but marvel at the humanity of the story, the bleakness of modern Russia, and the weird bonds that constitute family.
The characters are human, flawed and well drawn, the plot is a bit confusing at times, the photography is vivid and cold, and the violence is sparse, realistic, unglamorous and totally key to the story. No sweaty righteous hero crashlanding a blazing aircraft on Sunset Strip amidst a ballet of machine guns here.
Don't miss - in the extra features - one of the most dreadful music video ever committed to tape. -
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