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‘Only The Brave’
(Columbia Pictures/Black Label Media)
By Lucas Allen
Much like last year’s “Deepwater Horizon” and “Patriots Day,” “Only the Brave” is the latest installment of this recent crop of films about true life stories of courage and heroism in the face of danger. You may or may not know about the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who were firefighters risking their lives to combat wildfires in and around the Midwest. Think of this as not just an engrossing drama, but also an educational experience about what it’s like to be have a dangerous job like that.
Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) leads a group of “mop men” for an Arizona Fire & Rescue crew, but wants to do something more to save lives. With the help of Chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges), they put together a new fire crew full of young and experienced firefighters. One of them, a junkie named Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), wants to join the team in an effort to turn his life around after finding out his ex-girlfriend is pregnant. Marsh soon teaches his young crew the values of being part of a team when facing dangerous fires.
As time goes on, Marsh’s crew — calling themselves the Granite Mountain Hotshots — earns the respect of others for taking on momentous tasks no one thought possible. They even made the local news after saving a beloved 2,000-year old tree from decimation. However, Marsh’s commitment starts to put a strain on his marriage to Amanda (Jennifer Connelly).
Much like “Backdraft,” the movie succeeds in putting you into the mindset of the men and their job. You see them grow into a brotherhood that becomes vital to the film’s story. The story tends to drag in places which may be why the film is more than two hours long, but thanks to some good writing and careful direction, it’s a very well-told story of courage and heroism you’ve come to expect from these kind of movies.
The blazing scenes are quite good thanks to a combination of practical burning and computer generated wildfire. It’s quite amazing that these actors were able to perform in front of actual fire during some of the more intense scenes. Without giving away what happens in the climax, it leaves you with a different feeling that’s unusual from most other films of this kind. No matter how you feel about the ending, it still completes the story as a whole without feeling too abrupt.
The acting is pretty strong throughout, which helps add to the film’s realism. Brolin brings a leadership quality to the cast while making a big impact. Teller also did a great job bringing to life his character’s arc that goes from point A to point B. When you can have Bridges wear a cowboy hat and speak his natural southern draw, you can bet he’ll find ways to make it as interesting as he can. While she’s playing your typical worried wife in these movies, Connelly still adds a third dimension rarely seen in these type of characters.
It’s easy to say “Only the Brave” will certainly have audiences rooting for the heroes in the most dangerous of situations. It’s the kind of the movie where at the end of the day, you’ll feel glad we have heroes like these guys and are fortunate to have them around when we need them.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (out of four)
