Brotherhood of Tears (2014)

This movie is an work of art, obviously that you will need some baggage to debunk the meanings and the critic of modern occidental society to understand and grasp the real meaning behind it.A critique to the materialistic, narcissistic, egocentric. and individualistic modern day society where our God is money and the love of it that drives us to empty lives. The movie is a Shakespearean poem: to be or not to be...A critique to the what American Indians called WETIKO or Brazilian Indians called ANHANGA, a masterpiece of Art.At the first quarter of the movie, the main character, is depicted as a drunk, a looser, without any means to pay for basic needs, nonetheless he has time to spend with his most precious "possession" his daughter. He doesn't have but he is.He than sells his time, as most of us do with our time, with our lives to a company, where he just does something compartmentalized, just a piece, but the company as all major companies do becomes his master, and in exchange for a full material life, an American Way of Life, chains him as most companies chains most of us without we even realizing it.He than loses control over his life and becomes a slave to the company and all the material benefits it provides him with, but he doesn't have anymore time to spend with his most precious possession, his daughter. He no longer IS, he only HAS.Being a former COP, he then starts asking questions, he starts wanting to go out of his COMPARTMENT, out of his BOX, to really know what he is taking place in, what really is going on in this mysterious business, starts investigating and almost loses his child and metaphorically LOVE, which UNITES US.He than finds out after some investigation that there is a secret society, a secret wine... A wine made from the lives of other people, from the body of innocents... This is what CAPITALISM and NEO-LIBERALISM has been doing for the past 50 or more years to most part of the developing world. Draining peoples lives in the name of profit.

If you get a lot of money, for something that is "easy" ... well you can imagine that there is more to it. And the viewer knows it and the ex-cop who's doing the job probably knows it too. But money buys a lot of things and let's people sleep well. The story itself is a slow-burner, especially at the beginning, but picks up the pace towards the end and gets really good there.So the first half might be something you have to fight through, but there is some reward, even if you can't relate to the main character. The little girl is really good acting-wise and the story does pack a punch or two, which you might not expect like that.

For once ,a good title ,and a screenplay which does not fall apart in the first reel,which is rare in French contemporary thrillers;besides,Jérémie Rénier is in it,and that was my main reason to watch it.The director has a good sense of mystery and he makes the best of the settings: A candlelit apartment,a public garden where our ex-cop meets a strange old man,an apparently quiet canal,a strange ceremony in China ,a meeting in the dark forest,an auction sale (probably a hint at Hitchcock),and this shop where all the clocks have stopped ...the director knows only one tempo:accelerated ,and his hero seems overtaken by events in the first half.Some flaws appear in the last third:the providential intervention of the superintendent (who,by chance ,is the hero's half brother) ,and the banal last pictures:after such a revelation (and the scene in the cellar is deeply moving in its horror),we expected more.For a short while,I feared these suitcases might lead the story into the dreadful "transporter" territory ,but it is not so :Rénier does not portray a superman,à la Statham,but an ex-cop whose only reason to live is his daughter ;his past is revealed late in the story .Like this? Try this"Traitement De Choc" Alain Jessua,1972

I totally dug this movie, very different from what's usually made in France. Stylishly shot, it features a Jeremie Renier in top form. I used to find him a bit on the shallow side before but he's really grown into a very strong actor.This film has a strong identity, visually, musically and story-wise which won't appeal to everyone, especially to people who love to know beforehand exactly what they're going to see. As we follow Gabriel through his rags to riches story, it's impossible to tell where the plot is going to take us next. The audience is kept on their feet, I actually felt really tense at the end. Is it a thriller? A horror movie? A drama? It's all of the above.As for the ending itself, I think it's a fantastic concept, one I wouldn't be surprised to see remade. It's just dealt with a bit too quickly, the movie could've used another 2 minutes of extra time.Special kudos to young Melusine Mayance, and two thumbs up for a rather unusual soundtrack. All in all a very, very special, boundary-pushing movie, hope to see more of these coming from and to France in the future!