Pictures Gallery For Two Brothers

Two Brothers (2004)

Also known as "Deux frères"
Overall Score: 7 out of 10

Two infant tiger cubs, separated from their parents and each other.

Starring: Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Freddie Highmore, Oanh Nguyen, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Moussa Maaskri, Vincent Scarito, Maï Anh Le, Jaran Phetjareon, Stéphanie Lagarde, Bernard Flavien, Annop Varapanya, David Gant, Teerawat Mulvilai, Somjin Chimwong

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud

Running Time: 109 minutes

US MPAA rating: PG
UK BBFC rating: U
Adventure, Drama, Family

Kumal and Sangha, the pair of tiger siblings from 'Two Brothers', already look destined to join Seabiscuit, Clyde the orang-utan and Sigourney Weaver's hairy mates from 'Gorillas in the Mist' in the ultimate cast of all-time great movie animals. The stripy pair might look like they'd have your 'ead off as soon as look at you, but it doesn't take long to realise that you'd probably be safer stuck in a room with these two than you would with most humans. Ah, the magic of the movies!

The tale kicks off in the Cambodian jungle of the 1920s, where our two young heroes' idyllic lifestyle of playing and sleeping (but, strangely, never hunting or eating!) is interrupted by a mob of jungle trophy-hunters, led by Guy Pearce as the apparently-legendary Aidan McRory. The cubs are separated, with one being sold to a circus and the other winding up being trained for public fighting. Will their paths ever cross again? What do YOU think!?

Taken at face value, this is probably the most charming film of the year. You can bank on it generating oohs and aaws and ain't-they-cutes at theatres the world over, for this is a film where two of the planet's most dangerous predators quite literally wouldn't hurt a fly, never mind a person. They might not sing, dance, talk, or even wear cute little costumes (although one of them does obtain a spangly necklace at one point), but still, they're behaving no more like real tigers than Tigger or the bloke from the front of the Frosties boxes.

Director Jean-Jacques Annaud wowed audiences using similar techniques fifteen years ago with 'The Bear', but this time his film finds it increasingly necessary to stretch our belief as it attempts to fit these two real animals into an essentially human plotline, with the result that it grows weaker as the minutes tick on.

Nonetheless, there's little denying that this is an engrossing and relentlessly appealing piece of film-making, even if it does owe more to painstaking editing than actual performances. Kids - particularly those who love the animals themselves - should find it a real treat, and if it gets any others hooked then that can only be a good thing for the future of these magnificent but sadly dwindling creatures.

It's Got: A mum who'll happily let her young 'un share a bed with a tiger.

It Needs: A call to social services.

Alternatives: The Bear

Summary: A film that grows increasingly more ridiculous as it wears on, but'll still leave you feelin' (feline??) pretty good at the end. Overall Score: 7 out of 10

Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 25th July 2004


Blog This

External Links

Official Web Site
Two Brothers at the IMDB

Comments

5 Comments

This movie broke my heart. Thank God it had a good ending. I could not
stand the way horrible humans attempt to break the spirit of an animal.
I covered my eyes, and wept. I hated those circus people. I hated seeing them pull on that baby tiger with the rope around its neck. I hated the mother for breaking the heart of her child. The greatest tragedy is when the spirit of a human or animal is broken. I cannot stand animal or human mistreatment. This movie upset me terribly.
Lea Tartanian dtartani@stny.rr.com
Comment by:- Lea Tartanian | | 05 August 2004 | ip: logged

I'm scared to see it because I too cannot stand the mistreatment of humans nor animals. It makes me so angry how those circus people could do that. I beg you - Don't ever go to a circus. It's cruel to be mean to animals.
Comment by:- Rita | www.girlfriend.com | 29 November 2004 | ip: logged

Yeah, me too. That was a really sad movie. I don't like circus peeps either.
Comment by:- Annie Yan-Yu | | 29 November 2004 | ip: logged

Completely broke my heart. I don't think I stopped crying throughout the ENTIRE movie. So sad.. even if the Tiger's WERE adorable.. when they weren't being tormented.
Comment by:- Schuldig | | 19 December 2004 | ip: logged

this film made me annoyed, angry and frustrated. i hate mistreatment of animals and i do NOT find it entertaining to watch.
Comment by:- chuck | | 01 January 2005 | ip: logged

Post Your Comments

Only members can post comments.
Joining is quick, easy and FREE! Click Here.

Already a member - Log In

:
(no html, bold (<b>) strong(,<strong>) & italic (<i>)are permitted)

:

: http://

:

Where's it screening?


Choose Country (required)



Reviews


  • www
    MG
 
Welcome visitor from The United States  (IP Address: 38.103.63.61)
New Reviews
Michael Clayton
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Dogma
The Bourne Ultimatum
3:10 to Yuma
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Superman Returns
1408
Arrested Development
Boston Legal
Heroes
Silent Hill
She's the Man
Inside Man
Material Girls
Little Miss Sunshine
Barnyard
Accepted
The Cat Returns
Airplane!
If you can see this, your browser does not support current web standards (Cascading Style Sheets). This site (and many others) will look better if you upgrade your browser.
Netflix, Inc.