John Singleton is a director who many consider a one hit wonder. Yet I disagree. BOYZ N THE HOOD and BABY BOY are amazing films. POETIC JUSTICE was good and his remake of SHAFT was a solid crime thriller. FOUR BROTHERS falls into the same category as SHAFT.
Like SHAFT, FOUR BROTHERS is not only driven by the plot, but by the nature of the characters. The film begins in a convenience store with the murder of Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan, THE OTHERS), a white woman living in Detroit who has been a foster mother for dozens of kids. Only four of her kids were unable to find permanent homes, so she adopted them herself. After her death they come home to find out what really happened.
Bobby Mercer (Mark Wahlberg, THE ITALIAN JOB) is the oldest and is a bit unhinged. He’s truly a guy who leaps first, which can get him into trouble. Next is Jeremiah Mercer (Andre Benjamin, BE COOL), a family man who runs his own businesses. Angel Mercer (Tyrese Gibson, BABY BOY) is a lady’s man, whose girlfriend Sofi (Sofia Vergara, LORDS OF DOGTOWN) is quite a hellion. The youngest brother is Jack (Garrett Hedlund, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), a punk rocker who’s a bit naive. Investigating the murder of their mother is Lt. Green (Terrence Howard, CRASH), who desperately wants to brothers to stay out of the investigation, and Det. Fowler (Josh Charles, DEAD POETS SOCIETY), who doesn’t have as much patience with the Mercer brothers. The plot quickly shows that Evelyn’s murder was more than just a hold up. Signs begin to point to gangster Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS), who is a ruthless killer with a flair for the dramatic.
Victor Sweet is a great villain and a highlight of the film. Much like Jeffrey Wright was in Singleton’s SHAFT. However, the Mercer brothers carry the film. The four actors present a rough and tough brotherly relationship with great ease. Wahlberg is awesome as the brash Bobby. His behavior just inherently adds tension to any scene.
Another thing that I liked is how Singleton plays against black and white stereotypes in a subtle way. Bobby and Jack are white and Angel and Jerry are black, but to them it makes no difference. I also liked the twists and turns that the story took. Singleton also knows that he’s making a fun exploitation flick and plays the ironic cool moments perfectly. This film falls into the list of my favorite cool flicks of the year, which includes SIN CITY, KONTROLL, OLDBOY and LAYER CAKE. This is a fun adventure that will surprise you.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
