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A Road Trip to Nowhere: Why 'By Brothers' Falls Flat
mattCole
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Brotherly Love (2025)
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Brotherly Love (2025)

This movie's got it all - heart-pumping drama, intense moments, and a healthy dose of brotherly love. It's a cinematic ride that'll keep you guessing and leave you feeling all the feels. You'll be on the edge of your seat as the story unfolds, exploring the highs and lows of sibling relationships and the complexities of brotherly love and loyalty.
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A Road Trip to Nowhere: Why 'By Brothers' Falls Flat

summarizeEditor's Summary

I was expecting a light-hearted comedy, but 'By Brothers' turned out to be a total snooze-fest. The movie's attempts at humor fell flat, and I found myself checking my watch more often than not. The story revolves around Svetlana and Anton, a couple who are getting a divorce, but the contrived reason for their road trip made it hard to connect with the characters. The movie's winter atmosphere is about the only redeeming quality, but it's not enough to save this lackluster film. I was disappointed by the predictable plot and outdated jokes, which made it hard to invest in the story or care about the characters' journey.

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settingsSpecifications

KararKötü
Hikaye5/10
Kalite2/10
Komedi1/10
Görünüm4/10
Yönetmenlik3/10
Hello everyone!
I was expecting a light-hearted comedy, but what I got was a total snooze-fest. The movie's attempts at humor fell flat, and I found myself checking my watch more often than not.
Plot
The story revolves around Svetlana and Anton, a couple who are getting a divorce. However, they need to drive 600 kilometers to the city where they got married to make it official. I've never heard of a divorce being tied to a specific location, and it seemed like a contrived reason to drive such a long distance.
As they're driving, they meet their neighbors, who are also headed in the same direction. The neighbors offer to ride together, but Anton's not thrilled about it. I can understand why - who wants to spend their last days of marriage with their in-laws?
The real adventure begins as they're driving at a snail's pace. It's like they're never going to make it to their destination. I've seen more excitement on a road trip.
Genre
I went into this expecting a comedy, but it's just not funny. The jokes are cheesy and try to be edgy, but they fall flat. I've seen people make comments like, 'You're so short, you're like a dwarf' or 'Why don't you have kids? Are you impotent?' and it's just not something that makes me laugh. It's like they're trying too hard to be cool.
Runtime
The movie clocks in at a whopping 1.5 hours. I've seen some people walk out of the theater after about 30 minutes of this mess, and I totally get it. It's one thing to watch it on a small screen while cooking dinner, but it's a whole different story when you're watching it on the big screen.
Locations
Most of the time, the characters are just driving around in this weird, deer-styled car. Apparently, the kid, Panteleimon Valentinovich, loves the story of Silver Hoof. He loves it so much that whenever people call him 'angel', he's like, 'I'm not an angel, I'm a deer.' It's just so cute. But, honestly, his parents should've read the story more carefully - there's no deer in it, it's a goat. I mean, come on, it's just so cheesy.
Other locations include a café, a ZAGS office, and a visit to the grandparents' place. It's all pretty low-budget.
Storyline
I have to say, the storyline was pretty run-of-the-mill. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You can actually make a compelling, entertaining, and engaging film out of a simple life story. Unfortunately, this one fell flat.
Title
I'm still not sure what the title 'By Brothers' was supposed to convey. The movie's about a couple getting a divorce, but the characters keep throwing around this term like it's a given. Honestly, it felt completely out of place.
Cast
Svetlana - she's just so... meek. Poor thing's always crying about needing a divorce. But let's be real, there's no reason to feel sorry for her. It's pretty clear that some women out there actually enjoy being waited on hand and foot. And visually, she looks older than her on-screen husband. Plus, she just looks so... tired. I'd say she's just gone through the motions.
Maybe that was the intention - to portray a woman in distress. Or maybe it's just a makeup fail. Because Svetlana's got some real interesting features, but she just doesn't look like herself.
Anton - what a total enigma. No wonder his neighbor calls him a gnomish little twerp. I'm against nicknames, but sometimes they really do say it all. This guy's just so petty and high-strung. He's got his head stuck in the sand over his own personal issues.
My ex-husband was completely self-absorbed and never paid attention to me. He was a total jerk, and I was relieved to get out of that marriage. Honestly, there was no reason to stay.
That couple just didn't look right together. I'm not sure what kind of casting they did, but these actors just didn't work for me.
But their neighbors, on the other hand, were a really interesting couple. They looked great together - like they were meant to be.
Valentin - or Val, for short - was always yelling about how the man should be in charge in the family. But in reality, he was a total pushover. His wife would just give him a little shout, and he'd immediately change his mind and start agreeing with her.
What I did like about Valentin, though, was that he really loved his family. And even though they'd argue with his wife, they'd always make up in the end. They were definitely an emotional couple - you could tell they really felt things. I also loved how Val would compliment his wife and call her 'little pumpkin' - it was just too cute.
Varya - my friend Vally's wife. She's a total firecracker and always on the go. Out of all the characters, I have to say she's the one I connected with the most. She's got this amazing ability to keep her family in line, but at the same time, she's really level-headed. When she needs to, she'll give her husband a piece of her mind, and when she needs to calm him down, she'll do that too.
I loved how Varya and Vally would go out of their way to help their neighbors. It was really heartwarming to see.
Overall, the movie was a total disappointment. I went in expecting a light-hearted comedy, but what I got was a boring, cheesy mess. The humor was flat, the storyline was predictable, and the characters were uninteresting. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Final Thoughts
I have to say, I was thoroughly unimpressed with this movie. The whole thing felt like a waste of time, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh or an engaging storyline.

live_helpFeatured FAQ

Is 'By Brothers' a light-hearted comedy or a drama?

Unfortunately, 'By Brothers' is a total snooze-fest, failing to deliver on its promise of a light-hearted comedy. The movie's attempts at humor fall flat, and the predictable plot makes it hard to connect with the characters.

What's the plot of 'By Brothers'?

'By Brothers' follows the story of Svetlana and Anton, a couple who are getting a divorce. They embark on a road trip to the city where they got married, but the contrived reason for their journey makes it hard to buy into the story.

Are the characters in 'By Brothers' well-developed?

Unfortunately, the characters in 'By Brothers' are underdeveloped and hard to connect with. This makes it difficult to care about their journey and invest in the story.

Is the movie's tone consistent?

No, the movie's tone is inconsistent, veering wildly from light-hearted to serious and back again. This makes it hard to know what to expect from the movie.

Are the jokes in 'By Brothers' funny?

Unfortunately, the jokes in 'By Brothers' are outdated and fall flat. Some of them feel like they're from a different era, and they're not as funny as they could be.

Is the movie's pacing quick?

Yes, the movie's pacing is relatively quick, making it easy to get through the 90-minute runtime. However, it's not enough to make up for the lack of substance in the story.

Is the movie's score forgettable?

Yes, the movie's score is forgettable but unobtrusive, which is more than I can say for some of the other elements.

Is the movie's winter atmosphere immersive?

Yes, the movie's winter atmosphere is quite immersive, making it easy to get lost in the snowy landscapes.

Are the themes in 'By Brothers' timely?

Yes, the movie's themes of marriage and relationships are timely and relatable, even if the execution falls flat.

check_circlePros

  • •The movie's winter atmosphere is quite immersive, making it easy to get lost in the snowy landscapes.
  • •The cinematography is decent, with some nice shots of the Russian countryside.
  • •The cast does their best with the material they're given, but it's clear they're struggling to elevate the script.
  • •The movie's themes of marriage and relationships are timely and relatable, even if the execution falls flat.
  • •The movie's pacing is relatively quick, making it easy to get through the 90-minute runtime.
  • •The movie's score is forgettable but unobtrusive, which is more than I can say for some of the other elements.
  • •The movie's visuals are well-done, with a clear attention to detail in the production design.
  • •The movie's themes of identity and self-discovery are thought-provoking, even if they're not fully explored.

cancelCons

  • •The plot is predictable and contrived, with a reason for the road trip that feels like a cop-out.
  • •The jokes are outdated and fall flat, with some feeling like they're from a different era.
  • •The characters are underdeveloped and hard to connect with, making it hard to care about their journey.
  • •The movie's tone is inconsistent, veering wildly from light-hearted to serious and back again.
  • •The movie's themes are timely, but the execution is clumsy and heavy-handed.
  • •The movie's pacing is quick, but it's not enough to make up for the lack of substance.
  • •The movie's dialogue is stilted and unnatural, which makes it hard to become invested in the characters' conversations.
  • •The movie's lack of subtlety makes it feel like a heavy-handed lecture rather than a nuanced exploration of its themes.
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