With: Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, Joel Torre, DJ Qualls, Lucas Neff, Dane DeHaan, Yul Vazquez, James Parks, Bill Tangradi, Stephen Taylor
|
Written by: John Sayles
|
Directed by: John Sayles
|
MPAA Rating: R for some violence and language
|
Running Time: 128
|
|
Date: 08/19/2011
|
|
|
|
Barrio Brothers
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
The legendary indie filmmaker John Sayles (Eight Men Out, Limbo, Sunshine State) delivers an uncommonly intelligent war-themed movie, on a much smaller scale than usual. He burrows into individual characters, rather than battles; there are no clear good guys or bad guys. Eventually the characters begin to discover one another's humanity and war becomes an unfortunate side-effect rather than the main point.
In a small barrio in the Philippines, circa 1900, Rafael (Joel Torre) is a fair and beloved "head man," though his brother is the leader of a band of guerilla soldiers. Before long the U.S. military arrives, and occupies the village. Rafael finds himself caught between trying to cooperate with Lt. Compton (Garret Dillahunt), while secretly helping his brother. A Spanish priest (Yul Vazquez) is also on hand to make things more complicated, while the bored Americans begin to dabble in drinking and flirting with local girls. Soon Rafael and the Lieutenant begin to understand one another, but will their newfound empathy protect them from the horrors of war?
Movies this intelligent and aware of so many different points of view should be celebrated, and Sayles has pulled this off, time and again, in his 30-year career. If there's a quibble here, it's that in focusing so heavily on the head, he sometimes forgets the heart. Amigo has been made with great care and sympathy, but it's difficult to get enthusiastic over, especially given the downbeat tone and the difficult lessons imparted.
|
