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Only the brave 27/5/2023 ![]() On top of all of that, Only the Brave is an actual true story, and being a good one, it teaches us a lot about the brave men and woman who fight California wildfires. These are all small character arcs, but these actors bring a whole lot to their characters. Christopher (Taylor Kitsch) is dating the hottest model in town and learning the downside of such decisions. Brendon has a drug problem, but still struggling to support his daughter. They have lives and a comradery with each other that extends beyond their profession. In this film, these characters are Firefighters and that is an important part of their lives, but that isn't what defines them as characters. Usually, those stereotypes are only there to showcase the fact that this is a movie about firefighters or police officers. It is rare that we see these character archetypes subverted this way in a film, and they are all the better for it. However, we very much are supposed to root for his success. The junky rookie Brendan (Miles Teller), our viewpoint into the world of wildfire fighting, is a screw up who ends up being the team’s demise. She has her own business working her farm and training horses. He’s a likable guy who has a wife, Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), who loves him but doesn’t live her life around the fact that her husband fights wildfires. Yet our lead character Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) isn’t an unbelievable character seeking redemption. On paper, a movie like Only the Brave would be a movie filled with clichéd characterization and a predictable outcome. As wrong as I was back when that franchise first premiered, this is a rule I tend to forget. And yet, we have the Fast and the Furious franchise where the first installment was very much that template. For instance, I would say it’s a bad idea to start a billion-dollar franchise based on Point Break but with cars. We won’t spoil the ending, but what they gave for others is truly amazing.In film school, you learn that there is no such thing as a “bad idea,” only bad execution. We can’t give this one our Dove-Approved Seal, but we can say how proud we are of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. One of the pluses of the movie is a young firefighter who reads his Bible and tells another man, “It’s good.” However, there is rear male nudity, the smoking of marijuana, and a lot of strong and harsh language in the film, including “GD”, “JC” and the “F” bomb on more than one occasion. ![]() The characters are brought to life in this movie-just ordinary guys…ribbing each other, making fun of one another, and yet caring deeply for each other as brothers. ![]() The squad from Prescott, Arizona, do themselves proud, especially when they take on a blazing fire in Yarnell, Arizona, about 30 miles from Prescott. The action sequences include several scenes of the squad fighting fires and dealing with setbacks, such as when a helicopter drops a load of water on a backfire that was intentionally set to try to contain the spread of a serious wildfire. He doesn’t want to change but she tells him, “Knowing you changed my life. She wants to be a mother although she and Eric agreed to no kids when they first got married. Another storyline features Eric March (Brolin), the supervisor of the Hotshots, and his wife Amanda (Connelly). But he soon earns the respect of his fellow firefighters. The movie employs touching humor at times, as Brendan is called “Donut” as a nickname because he keeps getting zero answers right when he first gets started. Bolstered by an all-star cast which features Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Jennifer Connelly, there are several mini stories within the framework of the picture, including young Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), who goes from being a drug addict and getting his girlfriend pregnant, to becoming a firefighter and a caring father. This story is particularly poignant and will resonate with many viewers after the catastrophic and deadly wildfires across the West – especially in California – as this film was wrapping production in 2017. ![]() This movie is based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who saved many lives by risking their own on several occasions. Only the Brave is about heroism, the ability to change, and about risking everything for a greater cause. ![]()
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