No Surrender Cinema: Brothers by Blood
Peter Flood has been carrying the weight of multiple tragedies on his back for decades. Now in his mid-30’s, he finds himself looking to escape the only life he knows; one that puts him smack in the middle of all of the “family business”. No Surrender Cinema ventures into new release territory this time around with a look at one man’s struggle to break the cycle and become a better man than he has been, even if it means destroying the closest bond he has. Some spoilers are included in this review as I cover a film that can now be found on VOD and in select theaters, Brothers By Blood aka The Sound of Philadelphia.
Right from the start, we see that Peter (Matthias Schoenaerts) is not all there. During a rooftop chat with his cousin Michael (Joel Kinnaman) and their pal Jimmy (Paul Schneider) Peter nonchalantly hops over the side of the roof. This naturally draws immediate fear and concern from Jimmy, but Michael shrugs it off as just something Peter does. We see that Peter has landed safely in a mound of trash (and that the roof wasn’t that high to begin with), but if I were a betting man I’d wager that ol’ Pete isn’t right in the head.
It turns out I’d win that bet, because we see why Peter is so blunt and reserved. Back when he was just a young kid without a care in the world, he saw his sister get run down by a car in front of their house. Her death caused his family situation to spiral out of control, and he was forced to witness his father’s (Ryan Phillippe) emotional collapse. Eventually, the elder Flood promises vengeance on the man who killed his daughter, but that doesn’t sit well with the rest of the family. That’s because the Flood family are part of Philadelphia’s Irish mob, and it turns out that the driver is not only connected to the an Italian crime family, but he’s a cop as well. Peter’s uncle, Phil, warns his brother that there would be repercussions if he takes action, and this leaves Flood feeling totally desperate and helpless.
In the present day, Michael is entrenched in all aspects of the Flood family’s dirty deeds, but craves more power. Peter tries to serve as his voice of reason, talking him out of his various schemes, but at the end of the day, Michael wants what Michael wants, and there’s not a friendship or blood relation that will stand in his way. When things don’t go as planned for Michael, the fallout usually lands in Peter’s lap, and Peter is left to clean up Michael’s messes, growing further disenchanted with the life he’s been leading. All of it comes to a head when Michael makes a rash decision that seems to parallel what Peter’s father had done years prior (and what put Peter in this predicament in the first place), and Peter is left with one way out of this black hole of petty thuggery; set things right by killing his cousin, and then walk away.
Brothers By Blood intrigued me with its premise, but the film itself was not what I expected. As it began, I had felt strong vibes that led me to believe it would be similar to The Drop, a fantastic crime thriller starring Tom Hardy. I was also surprised to find that Matthias Schoenaerts was one of the main characters from that film, as I didn’t immediately recognize him. Sadly, what looked like a great idea on paper was less of a thriller and more of a dark character study. This is Peter Flood’s film, because everything that has happened and will happen affects him. He is the center of this universe and everybody else is just a bit player. We don’t even get to see the death of his sister or what happens to his dad. If I’m watching a film with the word “blood” in the title, I’d like to actually see some!
While the film wasn’t what I expected as far as action and excitement, I don’t want to take away from the actors. Schoenaerts did a good job of presenting a different side of a criminal character. We understand that he’s in this life because of the circumstances, not necessarily because he wants to be, and we see his gruff and stoic demeanor as a shield to prevent anyone from making the mistake of caring about him. He knows that his own family sees him as nothing more than a pawn, and it’s something that he noticed years back when he mentioned to his father than Uncle Phil was “fucked up”. Kinnaman plays a good slimy foil, a street thug who is only loyal to himself and will step on anyone to gain power. It was weird to see Mr. Cruel Intenions Ryan Phillipe as the despondent dad, but even with the frequent flashbacks in the film, his total screen time amounted to little more than an extended cameo. Add in the fact that we only get implications as to how his character arc ended, and it almost feels like he was shoehorned in here.
Brothers By Blood premieres this week on VOD and (if you’re lucky) at a theater near you. What this one lacks in action it makes up for in drama, and while the main cast does well with the material, the synopsis of this one is a bit misleading. The main thread is about Peter Flood’s conflicting feelings, but everything from his upbringing to the blossoming romance with Jimmy’s sister (Maika Monroe) feels rushed through. If you’re into seeing life through the eyes of a low level mobster minus the glamour and gunplay that normally goes along with it, then this one is for you. If it’s an all out mob war you’re looking for, then you’ll have to seek out another Blood type.
