Four Brothers

UK Release Date. 30 September 2005
Certification. 15
Running Time. 1 hour 49 mins
Director. John Singleton
Cast. André Benjamin, Josh Charles, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tyrese Gibson, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Sofia Vergara, Mark Wahlberg.

Rating. 56%

Review.

Inspired by the criminally under-appreciated The Sons Of Katie Elder starring John Wayne and Dean Martin, John Singleton's Four Brothers is a solid, if unspectacular, urban crime drama. 

The camaraderie and the natural interplay between the four brothers (André Benjamin, Tyrese Gibson, Garrett Hedlund and Mark Wahlberg) is undoubtedly one of the film's highlights. Wahlberg, in particular, impresses as the family pitbull, who seems to take routine satisfaction in mercilessly teasing his brothers with a gruff affection. An underwritten Sofia Vergara (in an early role) still manages to impress in her limited screen time as the fiery, and disparagingly named, 'La Vido Loca.'

Director John Singleton presides over a couple of impressive action sequences - an interrogation following a school basketball game, a car chase through the iced streets of Detroit and a savage assault on the Mercer family home.

Whilst the four brothers make believable kin, Singleton's attempt to introduce the family matriarch, Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan) via imaginary conversations with the brothers are largely awkward and ham-fisted. In Henry Hathaway's The Sons Of Katie Elder, the titular character is never seen on screen, "The character of Katie Elder is undoubtedly the real hero of the piece. Never seen on screen, she has already passed away at the beginning of the film. Respected by the locals of Clearwater, she is remembered with fondness by all and her influence is felt throughout the film." There's an elegance regarding the manner Katie Elder is introduced to the audience, poignantly depicted by an empty rocking chair. An elegance that is sadly absent in Four Brothers.

As the storyline unravels Singleton stumbles and seems to lose control of the hitherto compelling narrative. A ridiculous and overblown conclusion does little to rescue the film.