When it gets too hot inside of the western wild, an elite group of firefighters get the call. ‘Only the Brave’ is based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a band of special forces firefighters who smother some of the biggest fires in the world with precision in teamwork. The film is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. As most of us run from danger, they run toward it–they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire. The film stars Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, and Jeff Bridges among others. It is directed by Joseph Kosinski, and is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, adult language and drug material.
I didn’t think there were any emotionally enthralling original narratives left in Hollywood, but a film like ‘Only the Brave’ comes along and grips you to the point of tears. This is a movie that I expected to have some somber resonance with its true life story of a group of unsung heroes who never seem to get the credit that they deserve, but I completely had no idea that it would be this story would stick with me over an hour after leaving the theater. ‘Only the Brave’ captivates its heroic material without needing any of the familiar dramatic tropes that make a majority of these films identical when you compare all of their high and low points within their respective scripts. Instead, this is a film that carves its own identity, and does so in a way that takes its time in establishing characters and environment equally, triggering a beneficial appreciation for both that makes this film fire off on all cylinders. The heat constantly rises from the enveloping cloud of tension that swallows these people and their respective subplots whole, bringing to light a respect for another dirty job that you’re either born with the bravery to undertake or you’re not.
In over two hours with this movie, there was never a point when I was bored or losing interest in the film, and I blame that impeccable pacing on a few different aspects. The first is the attention to detail and time dedication in building these characters as a unit first. There’s an honorable chamraderie in brotherhood that is taking place with each minute that we spend with this group of man-children, and the wide range of personalities made it a delight to watch them echo off of one another. The second stance that this film takes is in its background for what goes into such a career decision. As to where most films will briefly skim over this intro to education with a musical montage, ‘Only the Brave’ veers right with unshaken concentration for its career elective that really makes you understand the kind of peak physical shape, as well as sacrificial stance that one with family takes, and that leads me to the third important positive that this film has going for it; the home side. This is usually ignored entirely with dramatic hero plots, but this film values the importance of impact left at home when these immense figures aren’t around. This in turn allows us to get to know some of the female characters a little better, and engages in the negatives that come with being a hero. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows with this group, and screenwriters Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer have definitely done their homework when it comes to this risky lifestyle that doesn’t come with as many perks as one would believe.
On the side of production value, the film’s consistency in establishing the correct look and feel for these harsh environments really rings true through some gritty action sequences that are articulately spread out across the script. There’s surprisingly not a lot of these scenes in the film, which one might feel is a negative, but to me it made those spare few feel that much more impactful when compared to their normal environments that make up a majority of this movie. The C.G fire looks beautifully authentic, leaving the risk on screen where it belongs, and really garnering with it a movement of fluidity that had me even questioning at times. Most recently I reviewed ‘Geostorm’, and that film could take more than a few lessons from ‘Only the Brave’ on how to faithfully illustrate the layers involved with its artificial properties. Besides the tasteful C.G, the sound mixing done here by David Brownlow is award-worthy. As to where we see the flames coming from miles away, it’s the sound of its sneaky seclusion that tiptoes the volume with ease until it rises to a flaming crescendo. The film also does a valuable job in showing that there’s so much more dangerous with this environment that these men work in than just the fire that they are smothering, this is also home to some deadly creatures. When watching this film, you should imagine that anything can and will hurt our protagonists, it will make it that much easier when the merited jump scare that comes out of nowhere makes its presence felt on more than one occasion.
The performances as well are a whirlwind of emotional response that assemble one of the finest ensemble casts of the year. What I like is that everyone is doing their part in bringing to life some truly lively personalities, and nobody doesn’t belong in their respective roles. For my money though, Jennifer Connolly, Miles Teller, and Josh Brolin steal the show. Teller continues to enhance his dimensional limitations with some challenging roles that have him charging his actor’s batteries. As the humorously named ‘Doughnut’, Teller comes from an immature kid who has made mistakes, and decides to turn his life around when he gets some altering news. His transformation throughout grants him the light of a tightly paced transformation that plays out before our very eyes with the wink of Miles charm still peaking through. Brolin as the leader is a wise choice, and his visual likeness to his real life character couldn’t be more precise. Brolin speaks gently throughout a majority of his lines, but you feel great power and respect in the way he commands his troop with a fatherly brush that motivates accordingly. The best to me however isn’t even a Hotshot, but instead Jennifer Connolly’s radiant fiery register as Brolin’s wife who plays by her own rules. What’s so refreshing about her portrayal is that the film allows her voice to be heard, and Jennifer kindly obliges, ingesting the fuel for some truly heart-stopping moments that remind us of her greatness, and Connolly’s volcanic approach made for a character who I couldn’t spend enough time with.
What small problems that I did have with the film aren’t really worth mentioning, but they do kind of stand out when everything else feels so perfect. The entire third act is predictable, but still has enough gas left to make you realize you’re not fully correct on where it’s headed. The signs are there for the entirety of the film, and I wish the practicality of it all wasn’t as obvious as the previous 90 minutes sets itself up for, but with that said, the film still manages to withhold a surprise or two that proved just how little I was ready for what was approaching. My only other problem is with one subplot involving Miles Teller’s character which was kind of left open even at the end of the movie. I feel like the film sets itself up for a major decision with this character, then never fully commits itself to it, leaving me struggling to understand the significance of even including it in the script.
THE VERDICT – Joseph Kosinski’s gut-wrenching story includes all of the testosterone, heartbreak, and humor that one could ask for in an intensely compelling dramatic plunge. Through a look at a hero’s world inside of the glass, ‘Only the Brave’ connects with its audience in a way that wipes away two action packed hours with ease by zeroing in on the versatile performances and irresistible personalities who breed the iron will of the American spirit every single day. No film this year prior made me shed a tear, but ‘Only the Brave’ left me in shambles.
9/10