![]() The ensemble is completed by Kosinski’s old TRON: LEGACY star, Jeff Bridges, less ornery than usual as Brolin’s mentor (he even gets to warble a country tune), and Jennifer Connelly, offering some much needed female perspective in a gutsier-than-usual part as Brolin’s wife (although the line, “it can’t be easy sharing your man with fire” is a bit groan worthy). Miles Teller is the Maverick character, a recovering crack-addict who tries to shape up for his infant daughter by joining the hotshots, only to find both a calling and a BFF in Taylor Kitsch’s likable joke-cracking fireman. An unabashedly patriotic, macho “men-on-a-mission” movie, Josh Brolin stars as the grizzled chief, who has enough quirks to avoid becoming a cliché, with him sporting eye glasses (it’s so rare you see a bespectacled action hero outside KINGSMAN) and carrying prayer beads that suggest he’s a Buddhist. Its genesis lies in a GQ article ( check it out) that’s well worth a read – but only after seeing it as not knowing the outcome undoubtedly gives it more of a kick.ĭirected by TRON: LEGACY and OBLIVION’s Joseph Kosinski, it’s a solid attempt by him to make something a little more grounded, and good practice for his upcoming TOP GUN sequel, with it actually sharing some thematic similarities to that ’86 classic. Whatever its commercial reception is, ONLY THE BRAVE is a thoroughly compelling action-adventure, with the added appeal of being based on a true story. ![]() In the nineties, this would have been another TWISTER. Yet, in the modern film landscape, ONLY THE BRAVE is so dicey a prospect that one company (Lionsgate) actually sold it off to another (Sony), and despite mostly positive reviews, no one’s expecting it to make a dent at the box office. It’s a star-laden movie with an interesting, based-on-fact, premise, amazing CGI effects, and tons of human interest to tug at the heartstrings. REVIEW: Watching ONLY THE BRAVE I couldn’t help but think that twenty years ago this would have been a Jerry Bruckheimer-level A-list tentpole summer release. Bring tissues.PLOT: The true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of firefighters dedicated to fighting wildfires all over the United States. Only the Brave is a funny, emotional, character-driven drama that lingers painfully like a skin-burn. Kosinski limits the CGI and Claudio Miranda’s cinematography boasts a natural beauty. There are some clichés and cheesy lines, but they’re brief and often feel appropriate. The trailers and posters advertise Only the Brave as another piece of sentimental Hollywood trash, but appearances are deceptive. This limits the roles for women, but Jennifer Connelly’s emotional performance makes her more memorable than Josh Brolin or Jeff Bridges. The cast is largely male, giving way to some alpha-male antics, but these are suppressed to perfection and don’t rely on crude jokes. ![]() It’s impossible for viewers to keep their eyes off him. Teller delivers a rite-of-passage performance with realistic precision, securing his place as one of Hollywood’s latest character-actors. Miles Teller is unrecognisable as Brendan McDonough (“Donut”), who evolves beautifully from druggie disappointment to heroic Hotshot. With director Joseph Kosinski, they’ve produced a poignant memorial piece for the Granite Mountain Hotshots – 19 of whom lost their lives. ![]() Screenwriters Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer escape the trap of exploitation by delaying the Yarnell Hill Fire until the end, after enjoying two hours loving and laughing with the fire fighters. But the movie is approached with respect and maturity, placing an unusually heavy emphasis on character instead of event. The film could’ve easily been offensive, following the trend and organising the entire story around the disaster – bloated with tedious action scenes and oversaturated CGI. We follow their journey into being Hotshots, an elite level in fire-fighting, leading to the tragic events of the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013. Only the Brave follows a group of skilled fire fighters in Prescott, Arizona, where the surrounding forests are susceptible to wildfires. They would also be forgiven for believing it’s another example of Hollywood exploiting harrowing true stories for money and Oscar nominations. ![]() No one would be blamed for assuming that Only the Brave was another big-budget, brain-dead disaster movie. ![]()
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