Review of The Sisters Brothers (2018) by Ahmedaiman1999 — 22 Feb 2019

Love Western films or not, The Sisters Brothers will probably leave you more than satisfied, for it refuses to be submitted in a specific genre; it's equal parts drama, comedy, action, and even artistic! Every single frame is filled with arresting images and stunning lighting. Let alone the incredibly subtle metaphors Audiard weaves into the scenes throughout the movie. The score, which is by this year's Oscar-nominee Alexandre Desplat, also is hauntingly beautiful.

Audiard has made a poetic Western in which the four lead actors work harmoniously. Phoenix, Reilly, Gyllenhaal, and Ahmed are all at the top of their game. Each one of them delivered what could be one of, if not the best performance in his career! They brought their unique, different, and often contradictory characters to life in their very own way. I can't single out only one performance as the best among the four better-than-each-other performances. Riz and Gyllenhaal prove that their terrific chemistry they had in Nightcrawler wasn't a mere coincidence. John C. Reilly has never delivered such a mature and ripe performance before; he is really at his peak! As for Joaquin Phoenix, I would only say that he wasn't only snubbed once by the Academy, but twice, if not three times, as I haven't watched Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. If there is an Oscar for best ensemble cast, The Sisters Brothers would definitely take my vote in 2018!

The movie can feel a bit overlong partially due to some slow pacing at certain points. The other reason it can seem overlong is that because there are times I felt that the movie wasn't sure when it should end. Nonetheless, the journey our characters go through is any thing but boring. It's insanely thrilling; as Jacques Audiard manages to convey its temptations, dangers, abrupt feelings, and twists to the screen. The Sisters Brothers is a must-see hidden gem from 2018!

(8.