There is one movie on filmmaker Jean-Jacques
Annaud’s resume that stands out. Under the title of
The Bear, it was released in 1988, introducing
somewhat of a new concept into cinema. Using very little
human acting and almost entirely focusing on one baby
bear in the woods, he accomplished quite a bit,
considering the dialogue constraints. Unlike in
Homeward Bound, the animals in Annaud’s movie were
not personified by actors’ voices; they had to actually
perform, by themselves, and create emotional resonance.
Now, of course they were trained to weep and moan on
queue, but The Bear was a tearjerker,
nevertheless. There was something poignant in the
dramatic contrast between a powerless animal and
all-mighty humans, serving for a creatively stimulating
experience. But, the film did not garner masterpiece
status because of a rather non-existent plot, mediocre
performances from the few actors involved, and an
imbalance in tone. Still, I will continue to remember
it, fondly, for some time to come.
Fast-forward sixteen years and
you’ll find yourself in present day. Since The Bear’s
release, Annaud had let the animals take a backseat to
human drama in his film career. But, he has finally
returned with a picture called Two Brothers,
which chronicles an amazing fictional adventure shared
by two tigers, named Kumal and Sangha. As cubs, they are
taken from their mother after their father is killed,
living out separate lives, under the order of humans.
From the jungles of French Indochina, they are
transported to a nearby city, by a man named Aidan
McRory (Guy Pearce). Aidan makes a living selling
ancient statues, which he finds in exotic locations, and
just so happened to be chiseling away at those
surrounding Kumal and Sangha’s home, resulting in their
capture. They may be apart, afterwards, for awhile, but
it won’t be hard for most audience members to conclude
that the two will reunite someday soon, around a
quarter-way through the film’s duration. But the point
of Two Brothers is not to provoke thought;
instead, it simply serves as a beautiful showcase for
the loveable animals. Tigers may be ferocious in real
life, but they seem to be as harmlessly victimized by
people as ants are by predators who stomp on them when
they meander across their tile floors.
All of The Bear’s flaws
have been corrected in this film. The miraculous tigers,
which are nearing extinction, embody a stronger
narrative arc that of the black bears, making for a more
engaging motion picture. The plot may be driven by some
extremely farfetched events, but still moves things
along, quite nicely. The greatest change Annaud has made
in Two Brothers, though, is that he has allowed
his team of casting directors to choose a real
lead actor. Guy Pearce is commanding here, creating a
very conflicted personality, and resolving it
wonderfully, in the end. Aidan shows that he cares about
tigers, as he sweetly feeds Kumal in a few scenes. But
also shoots them, for the benefit of his cash-generating
cause. Viewers will be pleased about his ultimate
decision regarding hunting, though, which isn’t as
obvious as it may seem. Pearce exhibits Aidan’s internal
conflict fantastically, and will unfortunately be left
unmentioned by most reviewers, and left a victim to the
superior likeability of the presences of Kumal and
Sangha.
Even with so many redeeming
features, along with some beautifully photographed
landscapes, thanks to cinematographer Jean-Marie Dreujou,
Two Brothers does not go without flaw. A useless
subplot involving a powerful government official who’s a
bit of a crappy hunter detracts from the pacing, though
this doe not quite trigger boredom. I am also not sure
whether the flick wants to be a comedy or a drama,
because its mixture between upbeat scenes and drearier
ones is often deceiving. But, sometimes, we just have to
take a movie for what it is. And since Two Brothers
is a usually engaging, sweet, and original piece of
work, I’m perfectly happy with it. If this isn’t worthy
of a recommendation, I must be totally lost, as a film
critic.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews (7.12.2004)