So many movies intended for the big screen are having to forgo it these days, it seems odd when something as apt for home viewing as “Half Brothers” makes the Covid-defying move of opening on 1,200-plus American screens. Those looking for undemanding entertainment may give it a passing grade, but or the collective viewing experience. Nor does writer-producer Eduardo Cisernos’ concept add much to culture-clash politics beyond contrivance and reinforced stereotypes. It’s a slick film that’s forgettable at best, annoyingly broad and unfunny at worst.
A 1994 prologue has engineer Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa) enjoying a close, playful relationship with only child Renato (Ian Inigo) in their native San Miguel de Allende. But a steep economic downturn forces dad to leave his wife (Bianca Marroquin) and son behind in order to seek work up north, along with many others. While he promises he’ll soon return, that promise is broken.
A 1994 prologue has engineer Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa) enjoying a close, playful relationship with only child Renato (Ian Inigo) in their native San Miguel de Allende. But a steep economic downturn forces dad to leave his wife (Bianca Marroquin) and son behind in order to seek work up north, along with many others. While he promises he’ll soon return, that promise is broken.
- 12/5/2020
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
As this year thankfully nears an end we’re between those two big holidays that are all about family. So after we’ve eaten the big feast with them we’re gearing up for the big gift-giving season, full of brightly wrapped presents that often hide big surprises. But what if the biggest surprise isn’t in the package festooned with shiny paper and ribbons? How might you react upon finding out about a parent’s other family, complete with a sibling? That, along with riddles and a long road trip, is at the heart of the new comedy Half Brothers.
The story begins 26 years ago down in Mexico as pre-teen Renato Murguia is enjoying an idyllic childhood, flying his remote-control model airplane with his best pal, his adoring papa Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa). All is bliss until the economic crash and the peso is devalued. With tears in his eyes,...
The story begins 26 years ago down in Mexico as pre-teen Renato Murguia is enjoying an idyllic childhood, flying his remote-control model airplane with his best pal, his adoring papa Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa). All is bliss until the economic crash and the peso is devalued. With tears in his eyes,...
- 12/4/2020
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
An emotional rollercoaster from minute one, director Luke Greenfield’s Half Brothers ultimately taps into something earnest. Renato (Luis Gerardo Méndez) is a salty engineer living in Mexico City, days away from marrying Pamela (Pia Watson), when he gets a phone call from the States. His estranged father Flavio (Juan Pablo Espinosa) is dying and has asked to speak with his son. Reticent to acknowledge a man who abandoned him and his mother so many years before, Renato is pushed by Pamela, who is convinced her fiancee needs closure in order to become a good father to their son, a young boy struggling with his own eccentricities.
Moments after arriving in Chicago, Renato learns that he’s got a half-brother named Asher (Connor Del Rio), with whom he could not be more different. Upon Flavio’s death, the brothers are called into a mystery of their father’s creation. A strained-but-ultimately cathartic road trip ensues,...
Moments after arriving in Chicago, Renato learns that he’s got a half-brother named Asher (Connor Del Rio), with whom he could not be more different. Upon Flavio’s death, the brothers are called into a mystery of their father’s creation. A strained-but-ultimately cathartic road trip ensues,...
- 11/30/2020
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
"My father's last wish is for me to go on a scavenger hunt with a brother I never knew I had!" Road trip time! Focus Features has released an official trailer for an adventure comedy titled Half Brothers, from American filmmaker Luke Greenfield. Follow the clues. Uncover the mystery. Find your family. The story follows a successful Mexican aviation executive who is shocked to discover he has an American half-brother he never knew about. The two very different half-brothers are go on a road journey together masterminded by their ailing father, tracing the path their father took as an immigrant from Mexico to the US. Meant to be a metaphor of the relationship between neighboring countries America and Mexico. Starring Luis Gerardo Méndez and Connor Del Rio as the brothers, along with José Zúñiga, Vincent Spano, Pia Watson, Juan Pablo Espinosa, and Jwaundace Candece. Looks like wholesome, cheesy road trippin' goofiness.
- 10/8/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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