HALF BROTHERS

US, 2020, 96 minutes, Colour.

Luis Gerardo Mendez, Conor Del Rio, Vincent Spano, José Zuniga, Juan Pablo Espinosa.

Directed by Luke Greenfield.

This is one of those films where it may be important for a reviewer to say: don’t give up too soon, persevere, there is a lot more in this film than you might expect.

The film has many comic elements, farcical elements. However, it also focuses on social issues, especially the images of Mexico and the United States in the eyes of each character. There is the importance of poverty in Mexico, migrations, the exploitation of Mexicans in dirty and menial work, opportunities and lack of opportunities – and with a great deal of visual and verbal comment about the eccentricities of Americans, their appearance, manners, sense of superiority. (Most of the bloggers are very favourable to the film, enjoying the characters, enjoying the comedy, noting the social concerns – but most of those against the film are Americans who resent the satire on the American image.)

The film has the advantage of effective performances, the characters creating their roles, some stereotyping breaking through, the central character, Renato, played by Mexican star, Luis Gerardo Mendez, humourless, uptight, resentful of his father abandoned him and going to America. He discovers his half-brother, Asher, played by comedian, Conor Del Rio, incorporating all the behaviour, looks and clothes, music, of the undisciplined free spirit. There will be clashes between the two on the journey that they make from Chicago to Mexico, but each of them having to change somewhat and bonding.

The film opens in Mexico, a family, little Renato, love for his parents, his devoted father, flying model planes. However, poverty, his father leaving for the US, some phone calls, but never returning, Renato growing up resentful, but successful in his own right. He is about to marry, his fiancee having a son who is very eccentric, bullied at school, wearing masks (even Hannibal Lecter) around the house. A challenge to Renato.

But the bulk of the story is his being called to the deathbed of his dying father in Chicago, his being unwilling, further resentment towards his father, the mystery of his not coming back to Mexico as promised, and, of all things, finding that the young man with whom he clashed at the diner is his half brother! The father has always love puzzles and so (audiences tossing this kind of credibility to the wind and accepting it) the two brothers go on a journey to find out the truth about their father, a road movie with all kinds of digressions.

There are envelopes with messages, finding a friend of their father who begins to explain what happened when he was in the US, than a pawn ticket for a wedding ring and the explanations from another friend, some of the tragic events that befell the father, then a decision to visit a convent where there is also a message, Eloise, and the finding of a video from their father, building up to sad memories of what happened to him, his attempts to return to Mexico, bashed and robbed, the birth of Asher and his decision, phoning his wife in Mexico and Renato refusing to talk to him, the decision to stay in America.

And, to the credibility/in credibility of the plot, the father has left a plane with Renato’s name – so that they can get to the wedding on time after flying over the beautiful Canyon Renato had always wanted to fly over with his father.

There are a lot of funny moments, more successful than might have been anticipated. And, perhaps, there may also be some tears at the end.

1. The title? Expectations? Serious? Comic?
2. The tone of the film, comic aspects, farcical aspects, serious aspects, emotional aspects? Combined?
3. The background social issues, life and work in the Mexican village, the need for migration, going to the US, people trapped in the US, people abandoning life in Mexico and connections? The image of the Americans, the dialogue, satirical comment, images? The hard work for migrants, opportunities for development? The American Mexican border, border guards, treatment of migrants?
4. The introduction to Renato, his age, the images of the gliding planes, with his father, the bond between father and son? his mother? The happy life? His father, work, money, the decision to go to the US, the farewell, the promises, Renato taking it all seriously, treasuring the model plane, the later phone calls, Renato and his disappointment, his father phoning his mother, his cutting off his father, growing up resentful?
5. Renato in his 20s, successful business, engineer, skills, engaged, his fiancee, the plans for the wedding, her guests, his having no friends? Uptight? No humour? His fiancee and her son, odd, the masks and his wearing them all the time, ridiculed at school, even Hannibal Lecter? His mother wanting Renato to bond with him, Renato’s attempted talking, failing?
6. The message from his father, his being unwilling to go, his fiancee persuading him? Flying to the US, his father in hospital? The initial encounter with Asher, the dispute at the diner, Asher, clothes, hair, rather wild, eccentric, the clash with Renato? The revelation that his father had another son, Asher’s arrival, Renato and his disbelief? Not being able to farewell his father? His father’s death?
7. Renato and his father, love of puzzles and riddles, the credibility of his father’s elaborate setup for the search? It not mattering about this credibility but, rather, the audience accompanying the two men on the search?
8. The flashbacks and the accumulation of the story? Flavio, arrival in the US, the literal dirty work, the factory, drawing on his engineering skills, developing new techniques for the plains, the support of Katherine? The relationship with her? The birth of Asher? Renato, going to the factory, his being overwhelmed by his father’s inventions and inventiveness?
9. The pressure of the wedding, on-screen notices of how many days to the wedding…? And Renato’s journey, side journeys, to get back to Mexico?
10. Flavio’s device, the journey for his sons, to go together? Renato serious, uptight, appalled at Asher and his behaviour, appearance, music, and the episode of the taking of the goat, the goat accompanying them on the trip?
11. The various envelopes, the destinations? Finding Evaristo? Evaristo and his friendship with Flavio, filling out the background of Flavio’s time in the US, hardships? The decision to try to find Mr B, the clue of the wedding ring and the box number, the finding him, his explanations and further aspects of Flavio’s story, the importance of the flashbacks to what happened to Flavio?
12. Flavio, the relationship with Katherine, but his decision to return to Mexico, the trip to the border, pay for the ticket, his being ambushed and robbed, clothing and money, the ticket taken? Prison, harsh, the guards leaving him on the road? His returning to Mr B, pawning his ring and the plan for him to keep the ring until his son came?
13. The ups and downs of the relationship between the two sons, gradual understanding, the beginnings of bonding? Audience attitude towards each of them, citing more with Renato, critical of Asher and his erratic behaviour? Renato continuing to travel, the car, the goat, the music, getting out, their fights, wrestling on the ground? And then Renato coming back, supportive of Asher?
14. Renato, the arrest, in the cell with the refugees?
15. The rednecks, the taking of the goat, bashing Asher, Renato’s return? Running out of petrol, Asher having supply, the goat having chewed through the containers and spilling the petrol? Going to the house, the ethanol, producing it for the journey, their being overwhelmed by the gas, erratic behaviour?
16. The rednecks, the plan, the ethanol into their building, their being overcome and collapsing, taking the goat, driving, the detour to the convent and the clue, Eloise?
17. The convent, the nuns, the safe, trying birthday clues to open the safe, Eloise turned upside down and the revelation of the code, discovering the video?
18. The importance of the video, Flavio and his sincerity, always being a genial personality, explaining the situation, helped at the convent, the phone call to his wife in Mexico, the message about the birth of Asher and his need, his making the choice, Renato seen as refusing to talk to his father, his mother’s sadness? Flavio and his choice?
19. The nuns taking the brothers to the building by Flavio, and the plane with his name on it?
20. Flying to Mexico, flying over the beautiful Canyon that Renato had always wanted to see with his father, the wedding, and the eccentric young son and Renato having learnt through Asher, bonding with the boy?
21. An amusing road film, comic in farcical elements, laughter, sentiment, the mellowing of the uptight son, some responsibility with the eccentric son – all in the context of US-Mexico and social issues.