You should at least knock on a few doors and see what happens.
I saw this movie for the first time now. I have long wanted to see him for several reasons. First, the cast, and second, as far as I've heard, it's a very strong original story. And so, forming his list of fighters for viewing, he included Blood for Blood in it. Not to say that I was disappointed, but I saw a bit not what I expected.
Four brothers arrive for the funeral of their adoptive mother, who was killed in a store robbery. After farewell, they decide at all costs to find the killers.
As I said, my expectations were not met. In terms of the cast, everything is OK – the cast is really chic, but the plot ... But everything in order.
The beginning of the film is quite simple, but intriguing. It's catchy. But as soon as the plot begins to develop, my interest slowly began to fade. It's too boring and boring a story. Sometimes there are rare splashes of action and interest returned, but after a while again left. By the middle of the movie, I was pecking my nose, so monotonous. By the end, I almost fell asleep several times. I watched the movie just to see how it all ended. That's where I was surprised. Oddly enough, the finale did not fail and was not as predictable as I expected. The film is going to surprise you.
As for genre affiliation, everything is not unequivocal. I have not seen such a mixture of genres in a long time. I certainly did not expect that there would be an action movie in pure form, as in the same “Commando” with Arnold Schwatznegger. And in general, I did not expect such a level as I was in the 80s and 90s. But it's a big deal. In addition to the main component - a criminal action movie, there is also a drama, detective, thriller, etc. For me, it came out quite a combustible mixture.
As for the action, everything is also ambiguous. I would like to say that his cat cried here, but it is not. Interesting dynamic scenes are present, somewhere more cheerful, somewhere weaker, but they are. Another thing is that they are mostly the same type. Each action scene is duplicated at least once, which clearly does not add interest to them.
What the film really boasts is a chic cast. There's nothing to complain about. There are so many stars of militants that it is difficult to list. Not the Expendables, of course, but also a good lineup. Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Terrence Howard, Chiwetel Ezhdiofor, Andre Benjamin and many others. In addition to them, I noticed Sofia Vergara, who was not yet such a superstar as she is now, but already had high expectations. There are many characters, everyone is trying to pull the blanket of the audience’s attention to themselves. That's what makes the movie mad sometimes. Constant switching between characters, and it is not clear who to follow, on whom to focus attention.
I think a lot of people love movies like that. As I said, there are so many genres in it that you wonder. There's action, crime, drama. Even a little humor. Personally, I am not a fan of this kind of work, although the beginning hooked me. But to keep my attention in the film did not work. "Blood for Blood" will definitely appeal to people who love the works of Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. For me, the film seemed like a passing one.
“Blood for Blood” or “Four Brothers” (which is more consistent with the English version of the name) is a criminal action movie that was shot by John Singleton – the director of several films where the main characters are black. This and “Baby” + “Double afterburner”, after which Tyrese Gibson played in “Blood for Blood”, and “Shaft”, and the first work of Singleton – the crime drama “Guys next door”.
“Blood for Blood” begins with a tin: an old woman is killed in a store during a robbery, for the funeral of which 4 of her sons come. True, they are not even cousins to each other - the murdered took them from the orphanage as a teenager and raised them. Two whites and two blacks, each with their own destiny and their own lives, but their life lines intersect on a tragic day. The day was not the day they owed much.
Realizing that the case is not entirely clean, Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), Angel (Tyrese Gibson), Jeremy (Andre Benjamin) and Jack (Garrett Hedlund) decide to find the maze of fax that killed their mother. Nothing will stop the brothers, not even the threat of their own lives. In the course of their investigation, they will come to understand that family is something that should be cherished and important (even if you are not related by blood).
The film, so to speak, is not burdened with great intelligence, as is Bobby, one of the older brothers. No, he's not blindly stupid, it's just that Bobby is used to being simple and reliable. If something does not suit him, he goes ahead until he achieves the desired result. So the plot of "Blood for Blood" - the guys follow the trail, not particularly sticking to the letter of the law. They intend to punish those who killed and are not going to wait for the police to bring the matter to a head. A kind of demonstration of the Lynch court, but the brothers can not be blamed for such methods, because they understand that justice is needed only for them, everyone else – last.
The gangster film vividly illustrates the suburbs of Detroit (although the film was shot in Canada), with their gloomy neglect of large buildings and the uniformity of residential streets. It is no secret that the City of Motors is experiencing not the best times and its outskirts are slowly dying appendages of the once powerful metropolis. Cold tones, reinforced by winter, snowfall and deserted streets (as if people do not really want to freeze their noses and hide in their homes), add the film the right atmosphere, as if conveying the inner mood of the brothers – the same cold and hard, decisive and persistent.
Revealing the characters of the main quartet, Singleton focuses not only on where they were and what they did before the funeral, but also in a concise and colorful form tells about the guys through their manner of speaking and through clothes. Ordinary guys from the suburbs – this is the first impression when you see Gibson in a voluminous tanned jacket or Benjamin’s character in a checkered shirt and a hat with a scarf.
Street gangs, a moment of brotherly unity, personal tragedy and loss, corrupt cops, unexpected plot moves, strong words and necessarily shooting - "Blood for Blood" as a representative of the genre of "fighter" gets along well in its environment, turning out to be a kind of impulsive film, the action of which is built on revenge and emotions caused by it.
Interesting, but if you believe the facts, even such a seemingly banal scene, where Wahlberg sits on the toilet, Hedlund washing in the shower and talking to them Gibson, filmed for two days. Perhaps this can talk about the desire of the director to bring his work to mind properly, so that even such a household scene looks perfect.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
Four half-brothers come to the funeral of their adopted mother, who took them from the orphanage and raised them. She was killed in a store robbery and the brothers (two whites and two blacks) swear to find the killers and take revenge.
John Singleton's crime thriller is shot in the old, good manner of action films of the 80s and 90s. Brutal, tough and masculine. Shooting and fighting here is quite on level, the brothers exchange barbs, the gloomy atmosphere of Detroit. Revenge and extrajudicial violence. And the police here as if they are not going to catch our heroes, who put a lot of people behind the adoptive mother.
From the actor stand out Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson. Their characters Bobby and Angel Mercera are the most revealed here. The other two brothers Jeremy and Jack are played by Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund. The main antagonist of mafia boss Victor Sweet is well played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Also flashing in the background Josh Charles, Terrence Howard, Taraji Henson and Sofia Vergara.
Strong crime fighter. Brutal guys (three of whom are funny rappers) take revenge for the murder of their adoptive mother. With the script and the dramatic part, there are some flaws in terms of staging. But there will be a lot of violence and shooting plus a few jokes to defuse the atmosphere.
7 out of 10
I’ve been wanting to see this movie for a long time because I missed it. I love films on such topics, which are mixed with a large number of genres.
According to the official synopsis, four brothers gather at the funeral of their adopted mother. And after the funeral, they decide to find the killers and take revenge. . .
More openly, I do not see the point of writing a synopsis for myself. You have to see it yourself. The most interesting thing is that the plot is not tied to one revenge, but continues to develop, taking the viewer further. It is very confusing (in a good way), when it seems that everything and nothing from the film is not expected, the story throws up new details and spins again.
The exact genre of this film is poorly defined. There's a distinct action line that goes through the whole movie. But it is also woven with melodrama, and detective, and even somewhere slips a comedy note. This rattling mixture turned out to be very lookable and impressive at the exit. Which is rare in our time. So juggling genres few people succeed.
There is no point in talking about acting. Just look at the caste, after which all doubts go away. These guys will cope with any tasks and roles. What was brilliantly demonstrated in this film. Mark Wahlberg has a separate respect.
The directorial career of Californian John Singleton started at a very young age as for a chosen profession: at the age of 23, he shot his first film “Guys from the Street”, and with it came the first recognition, because Singleton was in the nominations for best director, the picture was also in the list of the best and could take the Oscar statuette. But, unfortunately, Singleton has not yet succeeded in developing success. Subsequent films Poetic Justice (1993) and Higher Education (1995) attracted a small audience. The reboot of Shaft about the hero of the black population with Samuel L. Jackson also did not become a sufficiently attractive picture, as one would like. And yet Singleton received an invitation to shoot “Double Fast and Furious” – the sequel to the acclaimed racing action and then everyone talked about Singleton again (although much less than about Paul Walker, the lead actor in the film). But any skeptics Singleton rubbed their nose when two years later the crime drama Blood for Blood came out on the screens (sometimes it is translated according to the original Four Brothers).
John Singleton was lucky to collect a very, very strong actor ensemble in Blood for Blood. Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson (he worked with Singleton in Double Furious), Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Josh Charles, Sofia Vergara, Taraji P. Henson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Fionnula Flanagan – these are the people who were involved in Blood for Blood. And it is worth paying tribute to the director and writers (David Elliot and Paul Lovett were them) that for a little less than two hours of the film, attention was paid to all of them and the actors tried to reveal their characters as much as the plot of the film allowed. The story follows four of Flanagan’s adopted children – Wahlberg, Gibson, Benjamin and Hedlund – who reunite after learning that the woman they all called Mom was killed in a raid on a store. Everything looks at first glance so that the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but soon the brothers learn that the target of the criminals was their mother and now they have to fight with a local gangster (Ejiofor).
You have to understand that all four brothers are those limitless, that is, the gangster does not yet know who he had to face. They don’t care about the laws, they don’t trust the police and they become driven by revenge. Each with his own complex character, everyone sees no obstacles and prefers to beat his forehead rather than bypass barriers. In general, the home streets can shudder at this company. And the viewer should prepare to see a lot of fights, shooting and, accordingly, blood. Four screen brothers really brilliantly played their roles. Everyone has his own charisma, but it is also necessary not to miss their replicas, where there are quite a lot of caustic remarks, savvy with a kind of humor. Especially in this segment, Mark Wahlberg distinguished himself, who was the first name recorded in the credits of the picture, although I would not single out any of them, everyone is good here, as already mentioned. you can also, however, mention Garrett Hedlund, for whom Blood for Blood became only the third picture (before that there were good roles in Three and In the Rays of Glory). At the time of filming in Blood for Blood, the actor was only 21 years old, but he did not hang out in such a versatile and experienced company.
Oscar nominee for 12 Years a Slave Chiwetel Ejiofor in 2005, when “Blood for Blood” was released, was not yet a noticeable performer, but in this film he showed himself from an excellent side, when he played such an infamous scoundrel, revelling in his power, he is clearly a psychopath and sadist who humiliates even his associates in front of everyone, and from some of his phrases even unpleasant chills ran through the skin. His brothers are perfect angels. And with such charismatic men, women were not given much time, although they managed to add something to the picture. Sofia Vergara, for example, almost every conversation she had with the hero Wahlberg, she conducted with mutual “injections”, but it was clear that despite her hysteria, she was ready to tear anyone and anyone into small pieces for the hero Gibson. Taraji P. Henson was less visible, but I wanted to say thank you for the support of her on-screen husband. And Fionnula Flanagan does not appear in the picture at all, but in this short time she was able to show why she meant so much to four notorious bullies who were not afraid of either the gangster or the police.
And yet there are certain flaws in Blood for Blood, as if the plot had been completed somewhere already during the filming itself and the visual series did not quite correspond to what was planned, but you can easily close your eyes to this when you watch a very strong cast, where everyone managed to express his character and this filled the picture with general drama and a real atmosphere of revenge. If you are still wondering whether to watch Blood for Blood, maybe you are not fans of the crime drama genre, then at least look at the actors, that is, I still recommend the tape to watch.
8 out of 10
P.S.: Benjamin, Gibson and Howard manage to engage in musical activities in the style of hip-hop, and Wahlberg is a fan of recitative, Taraji P. Henson also has vocal skills. It would be interesting if they all recorded the Blood for Blood soundtrack together.
The plot introduces us to four half-brothers who come to the funeral of their adoptive mother, who was killed during a store robbery. The oldest of them - Bobby - doesn't believe it's just a coincidence and is sure their mum was "ordered." Over time, his version becomes more plausible and the question of “who and for what?” becomes more pressing. Together, the brothers go in search of answers.
The name of John Singleton is unlikely to ever flash in the first places of the list of nominees for any prestigious film awards. He does not make too clever and intelligent films and does not use a hundred and more million dollar budgets for his films. But you always watch his films with pleasure, because they are mostly simple life stories, seasoned with humor and action, as well as with prominent actors in the lead roles and a beautiful soundtrack. You can remember his “Shaft” in 2000, and “Double Furious” in 2003, so badly scolded by film critics and generally nominated for the anti-award “Golden Raspberry” (in the end, could make a discount on the fact that it was thanks to this tape in the franchise were introduced beloved by many characters Tedge and Pierce). The works of John Singleton are primarily an entertaining movie, which you watch not in order to, for example, delve headlong into the plot; it is simple as a door; but in order to simply enjoy watching and not strain your brain. With this task in each film, Mr. Singleton copes with “excellent”.
The same can be said here. A simple story of ordinary guys who could be “much worse than they are” (one of the characters gave them this characteristic). However, everything is presented with a soul and drive, so watching the film is not boring and interesting. All four brothers are basically repulsed, because they all had a very difficult life and their difficulties, of course, do not scare them. On the other hand, their personalities are shown not only in situations that require decisive action, but also in those that accompany us in everyday life – whether it is a meeting at a funeral (where there is no face on them), or dinner with the whole family in the evening, and minor family conflicts that are usually resolved either with the use of fraternal ridicule and force, or end relatively peacefully. It's a good move to show them from different angles, to make it clear that they are just like everyone else on this planet. That’s why I’m so excited about the writers.
There can be no complaints in the actors - they perfectly conveyed their images. Of course, Mark Wahlberg shone here - his older brother is actually the older one - will point out, tell, support, and turnips, if necessary, and this applies to everyone - both to his own and to strangers. And if it is done for the sake of a lesson or just for fun, then strangers will regret that they stood in his way. The rest - Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjdamin and Garrett Hedlund - also played well and revealed their characters, showing their key features. Angel (Gibson) is inquisitive and courageous, Jeremiah (Benjdamin) is a truly valued family man, Jack (Hedlund) is a kind and sensitive guy. In sum, they really managed to create an image of a single whole, since their characters seem to complement each other.
I also liked the antagonist of the film, represented by Chiwetel Ejiofor – such a typical “bad guy”, whose key qualities are unscrupulous, cool and banal disrespect for human life. His image contrasts sharply with the images of the brothers and this contrast is good for the picture.
Of the secondary characters, I want to highlight Greene played by Terrence Howard - he is a childhood friend of Bobby and like no other knows what he can be capable of. Howard conveyed the image of a calm and reasonable person well, despite the fact that this character is not the main one.
The soundtrack, unobtrusively sounding against the background of events, is also good and emphasizes the style of the film itself.
And here is the idea of unity. The unity of brothers, so different, but so similar, which can be set as an example for many.
Summing up, we can say that this time John Singleton pleased us not so much entertaining movies as ideological. And he did it, as he did last time.
As Diane McCoppin, the animated hero of the film “Steel Giant,” said, “There is a scrap, and there is a work of art.” So this picture please refer to the second version I love! What caught me while watching? Everything from beginning to end.
4 guys, with a difficult childhood and criminal past, with different skin color and birth origin, they are so different, perhaps all that could unite them is a brawl or a shootout in one “gray” neighborhood of Detroit. But, no. Evelyn Mercer is “a ray of light in the dark realm,” for these guys, or just the “world mom” who adopted them and gave them hope for a better life. It is impossible not to sympathize with her, she herself is humanity, decency and discipline in one person, kindness and love, only there were people who did not like her mother’s heart. Now the brothers will take revenge. This is where I catch myself thinking, "Former bandits versus current bandits" -- eh, cool stuff, intriguing. And now, here we go.
High-quality shootouts and chases; acting, only in plus; the relationship between the brothers put the proper level. I liked such elementary scenes as a family dinner, a game of hockey, a friendly fight between each other.
The costumes of the characters and the appearance of Detroit transport the viewer to an overcast American reality, which, contrary to Hollywood films, is not everywhere so beautiful and bright. The main thing I want to note in this picture is vitality! For which I rate it as:
Of all the John Singleton films I’ve seen, I can mention two of them: Double Fast and Blood for Blood. Both films are criminal action films, but in appearance they are absolutely different from each other (I don’t mean the plot and everything like that). Each of these works has its own merits.
Blood for Blood (or better known as Four Brothers) tells the story of four half-brothers who return to their hometown to bury their mother, who was murdered in cold blood during a shop robbery. It is later revealed that this murder was not a mere accident. The brothers begin an investigation that turns into revenge.
The picture in its composition is very dynamic and exciting, and also in some places very sensitive. The way the relationship between the stepbrothers was depicted, as well as their reaction to the death of their mother, I really liked and, after all, even moved in some sense (well, it was a little).
John Singleton made a very good criminal action movie, which is boring to watch even for the second time. This picture can be considered one of his best works.
Of the cast, it is worth noting those four, but not brothers in reality. Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) and Garrett Hadlund performed their roles wonderfully.
In the end, I must say that the movie “Blood for Blood” turned out to be a very good action movie, which is not a pity to spend the evening.
Four brothers The idea of the film is not new. As our distributors tried and managed to translate “4 Brothers” into the essence of the film – “Blood for Blood” – that is, a film about revenge. However, the events in the film do not quite follow the standard pattern. At first. In the end, everything unfolds as in ordinary American gangster fighters. Here are four brothers coming together because of the death of their mother, who adopted them, re-educated them and made them human. However, there is no regret and sympathy for the brothers, because a woman is killed at the very beginning of the film and penetrate into her image, to understand how much she meant to them – do not have time. That's why you're waiting for four men to take out bats and pistols and go to lynch. And it begins. But somehow all this is done vaguely and incomprehensible to the mind. Not logically or incorrectly. What am I talking about? I don’t know what’s going on in the movie. As if the theater of a few actors, the living world does not exist. Where's the police? Why do guys so freely and calmly create lawlessness in not a small city of Detroit? Actors selected for the main roles, nothing. But Wahlberg is an extra in this gang. Well, he can't be a serious gangsta. He looks more like a collective farmer with a good face. And this last scene of the fight between the big villain and Wahlberg left me laughing. Well, how's that tough guy, real authority gonna fight on fists? And in general, this criminal authority is not like that at all. He should have seen movies like Scarface or The Godfather. He was not very convincing about his subordinates. It is strange why they did not want to overthrow him for a long time and without money. In general, they wanted to make a serious film, and it turned out a children's comedy with admixtures of serious chases and shootouts. I don’t talk about dialogue because it’s nothing. What's worth watching this movie for? I don't know. 4 out of 10 Original