Brother's Keeper
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Movie Reviews of Brother's Keeper
Movie Review: Deliverance in Upstate New York?
Summary: 5 Stars
I was alerted to "Brother's Keeper" by its' listing in a book roughly titled "The NY Times Best 1000 Movies". I generally enjoy documentaries but they seem to lack the necessary outlet to reach a wider audience. Outside of the works of Michael Moore and Al Gore, I don't see people lining up at theaters to watch the latest documentaries. That's one of the reasons I keep an eye on the IFC schedule. "Brother's Keeper" is a film worth seeing.
The movie tells the story of a family of four brothers who farm in upstate New York. These brothers are right out of "Deliverance" and, if there's any confusion about that, the omnipresent Appalachian Country Music reminds us that we've seen these people somewhere before. One of the brother's complains of a pain and is found dead in the bed he shares with one of his brothers. The brother initially confessed to having smothered his brother but later recants after thinking it over. He essentially is saying that the investigators lead him along and he just followed and tried to be helpful. A trial (certainly the Trial of the Century for this hamlet) begins with a lot of media coverage. This film crew was obviously part of the media that saw a unique story and we can be thankful for this in-depth and inside look at the brothers, the community, the legal forces, the crime and its' trial. It certainly seemed to me that the film company was there fairly early in the sequence of the events. The verdict is something I didn't know ahead of time so I won't share that with you. I liked the way the movie comes to a cloture.
What I didn't like was the way these brothers were profiled. They were shown as more than just developmentally retarded folks, they were portrayed somewhat as though they were all the results of a fourth successive generation of incest. While no specific allegations as such were made, the soundtrack sounds like something out of "Deliverence" without the dueling banjos. I realize that their mental capacity was a major issue but I really felt that the director way going out of his way to portray these brothers in a stereo-typical manner that seemed to degrade the achievements of the overall content of the film. That aside, this movie is definitely worth watching, if you can find it.
Movie Review: Cain And Abel May Have Met Again
Summary: 5 Stars
Making a myopic documentary can often be a death sentence. But delving into one community and one family can be done well if you don't lose focus. And thankfully directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (Paradise Lost and 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America) inherently realized this and kept their cameras firmly in the faces of the Ward family and their surrounding New York community.
Reeling from the alleged murder of 64-year-old Bill Ward by his brother Delbert, the Ward family and their neighbors circle their wagons in support of Delbert. From the get-go we're aware of the Ward brothers' minimal education and unhealthy lifestyle (their home is a stinking shack surrounded by a dairy farm). We're also privy to the fact that Bill was not a well man. His illness is never fully explained, but one could easily surmise cancer as a cause. Initially the story seems bent toward a mercy killing; Delbert smothering brother Bill one night to "put him out of his misery." But then homosexual incest rears up (none of the Ward brothers were married), as does animosity between the brothers.
Delbert initially confesses to the murder, but without legal representation present and without apparent knowledge of his rights (a pretty big mistake from a legal standpoint). Delbert is arrested but quickly posts bail thanks to the rural community rallying to his side. No one can believe that Delbert killed Bill. Indeed, Delbert confesses his innocence and states that the only reason he admitted to killing Bill was because he wanted to "get back home."
Receiving multiple nominations at film festivals across the globe in 1992, BROTHER'S KEEPER holds quite the moral quagmire for viewers. Some will view Delbert's confession as solid proof that he did it. Others may feel he was the victim of a legal system that is only interested in prosecuting the least of its citizens. Still others may believe Delbert to be guilty of a mercy killing and be happy at the outcome of the trial.
Regardless of ones legal or moral leanings, this story certainly is gripping in its honesty, showing both sides of the dilemma without flinching.
Movie Review: A dark, disturbing, yet riveting documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
This one of the most profoundly disturbing movies I have ever seen. The documentary details the events surrounding the trial of Delbert Ward for the alleged murder of his brother Bill, two of four elderly brothers living as near-hermits in a tiny shack near the rural township of Munnsville, New York. After an autopsy revealed that Bill might not have died under natural circumstances, Delbert was questioned and signed a confession, though he might not have been mentally competent to do so. Initially, the viewer responds to the sheer oddness of the Ward brothers, their way of life, their extraordinary social isolation, and the way of life they have carved for themselves, which was utterly unlike that of the rest of American society. At times, one feels one is taking a vacation trip along the edge of the abyss. Gradually, however, the film takes on far more nuanced and subtle aspects in relating their story to the town as a whole, and their growing support of one of their residents being judged and accused by outsiders.
This is not a movie that clears up any mysteries or comes to any firm conclusions. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky start off with a perplexing possible crime and end in a confusing fog. One doesn't know quite what to think (though a possible mercy killing of Bill, who was ill at the time of his death, seems a possibility). But the depth and power of the film is undeniable, and it unquestionably belongs on a short list of the best documentary films of recent decades.
Movie Review: Excellent Documentary in the Maysles Tradition
Summary: 5 Stars
That this film is dedicated to the memory of David Maysles should tell you all you need to know about what's in store. Along with his brother Albert, David Maysles created some of the most groundbreaking and fascinating documentaries of the 60's and 70's ("Gimme Shelter," "Salesman," "Grey Gardens"), and Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky did a fabulous job here of carrying on the stylistic tradition. The story of the poor and semi-literate Ward brothers is touching and engrossing, despite the squalor in which they lived, and this early 90's legal case is a significant study in cultural assumptions and regional justice. Absorbing, and worth owning.
This 10th anniversary edition packs on a host of extras, but just an FYI: The "Product Detail" here on Amazon that suggests that this 'stars' Connie Chung is wildly inaccurate; she did a piece on the Ward brothers which we see them watching on a TV for a couple of minutes, and that's all. She never physically appears in this film.
Movie Review: A Keeper
Summary: 5 Stars
I was first introduced to this film at a friend's home. He is a cameraman, film maker, documentary buff. He showed the film outdoors on a big screen using an LCD player. Guests were invited to bring lawn chairs and help themselves to the popcorn machine and wine. Since we were outdoors (in Tahoe), the sound traveled. About half way through the movie, I looked behind me and there was a cop standing there. Someone had called the police and complained about the noise of the film. Us viewers were completely silent, in awe of the film. When the cop arrived, rather than shutting us down, he stood there and watched the film too! It wasn't until we noticed him that he asked us to turn it down a notch. Since that night, I ordered the film on-line and watched it one morning with a friend of mine who is a lawyer. He had the remote handy and repeatedly paused the film so we could have discussions about it - from the cinematography to the court rulings. I loved this entertaining film.