The Sisters Brothers, a movie well worth your time

The Sisters Brothers is a 2018 R-rated western film starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilley. Directed by Jacques Audiard, based on the novel written by Patrick deWitt, this shoot-em-up is plenty violent, but ironically closes with one of the most tender, kindest endings one could hope for. In 1851 Oregon three years after the start of the California gold rush, Charlie and Eli Sisters, are two gunfighters who work for a rich man referred to as “the Commodore.”

 

The brothers are dispatched by the Commodore to meet up with a tracker named John Morris, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who has captured Hermann Kermit Warm, a man who has invented a chemical that can expose gold. During their journey, the brothers are constantly held up by illness, in-fighting, and pitfalls of the wild. In the meantime, their accomplice Morris is learning about Warms’ chemical formula and gradually convincing himself to befriend the chemist and join him. When the brothers finally arrive, the change in loyalties sets off a war on all sides and a race to the gold.  

 

There are some interesting facts shared during this movie, for instance the first toothpaste wasn’t paste, but powder. We see the comical first use of a toilet, and a first-ever hot water bath. The sets are beautiful and finely detailed; sometimes the nails in the boards are visible. The clothing design is another aspect which shows wonderful attention to detail. Both Charlie and Eli are filthy throughout most of the movie, so much so it is strange to see them cleaned up. The chemistry between Eli and Charlie, regardless of their constant fighting, is thick; they trust each other and you can feel it, their bond is cemented.

 

One thing I noticed was the only prominent female in this entire film is a woman named Mayfield, and she doesn’t stick around long. The movie earns its rating with a high kill count, but nothing too gory. It didn’t do so well at the box office, which is crazy given the A-level actors and the sheer beauty and artwork. The ending is so kind it might even bring a tear. This columnist gives The Sisters Brothers an A.