The western genre may not be as popular as it once was, but slowly over the course of the past few years it's been making one hell of a comeback. The latest proof can be found in the trailer to the upcoming film The Sisters Brothers, which sees Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly playing the titular brothers, who hope to achieve their dream of owning their own storefront, courtesy of their various criminal activities. All that may stand in the way is Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, and some violent, undeniably cool action. You can check out the results for yourself in the trailer below:
Based on Patrick DeWitt's novel of the same name, The Sisters Brothers also co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed, as a pair of men standing in the way of the brothers. Apparently, Ahmed's character, simply referred to as Warm, has stolen a formula that produces a substance that roots out gold deposits in riverbeds. Gyllenhaal's Morris is a prospector looking to keep that for himself, but naturally, Phoenix's Charlie and Reilly's Eli are after this formula, too. The only difference is, the Sisters brothers claim to be pursuing this purloined process in the name of their employer, from whom it was allegedly stolen.
Right off the bat, everyone involved in The Sisters Brothers main cast looks like they're having a blast, especially Joaquin Phoenix. For a man who's been known to be a bit prickly, both on and offscreen, seeing Joaquin Phoenix smiling and joshing with John C. Reilly almost feels like it needs an award created in its honor. Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed look like another fantastic double act, with Gyllenhaal acting like a sane, but driven, adversary and Ahmed playing the grounded scientific genius at the center of it all.
Now if I know my modern westerns, The Sisters Brothers will probably devolve into some Sam Peckinpah-esque violence, with some characters not making out at the end. If this film was that sort of experience alone, I'd still be looking forward to this movie, but probably wouldn't rush to see it. However, it's the signature blend of semi-Wes Anderson style, humor and slick performances that really makes what I've just seen really shine. To borrow from the film's plot, The Sisters Brothers is hidden gold in a riverbed, and the efforts of director / co-writer Jacques Audilard and his cast are the formula that seems to have found said gold.
For a movie like The Sisters Brothers to jump so far up on my personal watch list, it has to be made of some true grit. And that's just what this movie looks to possess, as this mash-up of vengeance and witty dialogue is the type of thing that makes a movie like this special. Should it stick the landing, don't be surprised if this one manages to make a splash in the awards season madness. The Sisters Brothers saddles up for laughs and lashes this fall, without a specific release date specified. But if you're looking for more comedy, tragedy, and everything in-between, our 2018 release schedule will be your guide to adventure.
