Joel and Ethan Coen are known for their ability to give their characters funny names, which can be a delicate art. In Brothers, the brothers Moke Munger (Josh Brolin) and his brother Jady (Peter Dinklage) are given nonsensical names by a crooked guard, Farful (Brendan Fraser), on the condition that he cut them in on some missing loot long hidden by the boys' criminal mother. The differences between these monikers and genuine Coen creations like HI McDunnough (from Raising Arizona) or Burt Gurney (from Hail Caesar!) are as precise and important as the difference between actual Coen brother Ethan Coen and veteran screenwriter Etan Cohen, who has a story credit on the movie. Brothers is a road-trip crime comedy that telegraphs the brothers' aspirations with its colorful backstories and wannabe-wry narration from Dinklage. The brothers' brash, scheming brother and cautious, more emotional brother bicker through cartoonish, outlandish, and unfunnyish antics, including a smoking ape at one point. Director Max Barbakow frames some well-timed sight gags, but the writing is far less inventive than expected from screenwriter Macon Blair, who starred in Blue Ruin and wrote Hold the Dark. While Brothers has plenty of momentary amusements, it is not enough to create a cult crime comedy out of almost nothing. On its own meager terms, Brothers passes by zippily enough, running about 83 minutes, barely enough time to stop it from auto-playing on Prime Video. Amazon Prime has recently embraced the wacky action comedies genre, with films like Brothers by Max Barbakow. The film, directed by Palm Springs director Max Barbakow, is a wildly entertaining example of how to do it. The well-chosen cast of A-list actors, including Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, plays fraternal twins, with Glenn Close as their conniving grifter mother. The movie follows the story of Jady and Moke, who were rambunctious twins who were in trouble for robberies and other mischief. Jady ends up in prison, while Moke goes straight and marries Abby. When Jady is released from prison, he returns to the twins with a job: retrieving $4 million in jewels buried away by their mother, Cath Munger. Cath promises equal riches for all in leading the boys to this buried treasure. A crazy road trip ensues, with an unhinged Jady and a reluctant but intense Moke, inspired by Midnight Run. Brothers is a movie about family, with a well-chosen cast and a slapstick style that delivers a thrilling and entertaining experience.
