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	Two Brothers
	Jean-Jacques Annaud Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Freddie Highmore, Oanh Nguyen, Moussa Maaskri, Vincent Scarito, Maï Anh Le 2004		Jean-Jacques Annaud's career cuts a wide swath. From sly social comedy (1976's "Black and White in Color") to prehistoric anthropological drama (1981's "Quest for Fire") to wrenching war movie (2001's "Enemy at the Gates"), this French filmmaker has excelled in a number of genres without really repeating himself. But Annaud evokes the memory of his acclaimed 1988 feature "The Bear," a decade and a half later, with "Two Brothers." Both films are outdoors adventures that concern nature's magnificent creatures and their relationship to man and civilization. Both boast glorious cinematography and astonishing performances by animal "actors." And both serve as excellent family fare. In "Two Brothers," fraternal tiger cubs are separated from their parents in the jungles of Indochina and grow up apart. Each cub is taken into captivity and bonds with a human. A compassionate explorer, played by Australian star Guy Pearce ("Memento"), befriends one of the cats; the other becomes the pet of the colonial governor's son. The tigers' domesticity is short-lived, as they swiftly grow up and hurtle toward an amazing fate. Perhaps it's due to computer effects, but the big cats never seem trained or drugged, even when filmed at close quarters or in proximity to the cast. And the sentiment of "Two Brothers" never gets maudlin, thanks to Annaud's sure hand.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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