• Jacques Audiard is a narrative master- he zags when you think he’s going to zag—from A Prophet to Rust and Bone he bends genres—watching The Sister Brothers here I was enjoying the hell out of having absolutely no idea where he was going
  • It ends with a wonderful simulated (ala Birdman but closer cousins to I, Tonya tracking shot of the two brothers at home—I think Reilly himself is in the “shot” three times—it’s a great shot-perfectly sets the mood- Idyllic semi-happy ending after so much harshness- sublime
  • Complex, funny, these are four well-rounded characters and it’s an excellent, not only narrative, but character study. Reilly is so sensitive and tender—the scene with the hooker, the toothbrush, the love he has for the horse—it’s a brilliant character and it may be Reilly’s best work in a career with 23 archives films—main other contenders (work with PT Anderson, Chicago)
  • There are comedic scenes between the two brothers, especially given the western backdrop- that remind me of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. It turns serious because Phoenix has a nasty streak and the film overall is darker- but there back and forth about opening a store in San Francisco at dinner is great.
  • Recommend but could see moving to an HR with another home visit and a chance for more note-taking