Brothers of the Wind (2015) Reviews

• Breathtaking images, superfluous "story"

  IndustriousAngel2016-02-04

  There are quite a few kid/animal stories out there; what sets this one apart is the incredibly good cinematography. We're not talking wolves, dogs or whatever here, we're talking golden eagles and they're not easy to film - so what we DO see on screen here is absolutely stunning (and I'm a fan of nature docs). They even managed to mount miniaturised HD cameras on an eagle to capture some flight imagery ... there are some truly memorable scenes in this movie, among them a very intense, drawn-out scene where the young eagle tries his talons at a mountain-goat maybe one or two sizes too big for him. The winter scenes are haunting in their intensity, too. But the movie as a whole gets only 7/10 from me - they tried to pep up the images with a story about a boy helping the young eagle to survive. Now I don't think the idea absurd - in fact a simple framing story might be a nice idea - but they put too much weigth on this story. The emotional struggles between father and son simply don't stand a chance against the for-life struggle of the animals, and so every scene we spend with the humans is - in my opinion - a scene wasted. No fault with the actors, btw - experienced acting as expected by veterans Moretti and Reno, and the boy was good, too - but it's not their movie. It's the eagle's.

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• brothers of the wind a European masterpiece

  playtoyer2016-02-05

  Brothers of the wind is a great movie.All the scenes with the Eagle are great.The director did a great work with all the animal scenes.this movie is one of the best animal movies.A eagle who protects and becomes friends with a boy. The eagle is the hero, and a creature to be admired and respected, not only for his size and strength, but for his courage with the eagle you gain a greater appreciation of this creature within its natural habitat the Eagle is as the magnificent and intelligent creature. This movie is a cinematic gem, deserves much wider recognition not only in europe, and unlike a lot of Hollywood movies, this is a thoughtful as well as entertaining adventure movie.The boy is great in the movie.Jean reno is great in this movie.jean reno is a great actor.

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• Once upon a time in the wild Alps valley.

  Reno-Rangan2016-07-04

  It was almost like a fairy tale, about the relationship between a young boy and a bird. From Austria, but made in English language with the limited cast and a semi-documentary style film. It is a very similar theme to the French film 'The Fox & the Child', but sets in a different scenario. Get prepared to witness the stunning Austrian Alps valley with a story of where man meets the wild. A fine entertaining film, as well as to study the behaviour of this magnificent bird that targeted for the audiences of all ages. A simple story that sets in one summer of the 60s, that narrated by Jean Reno, who appeared as a forester. He recalls the story of a boy named Lukas, who developed an unusual bond with an eagle since it was a chick that fell from its nest. The boy named the bird Abel and stood by his side providing all needs like foods and training, till he become an adult. As a wild animal, his instinct urge him to act differently and so the Luka's love and care for Abel will gets difficult by every day. As the seasons change, time to define their actual relationship and that's what the film beautifully narrated. It was mostly the background narration like an episode telecasted in a nature channel than the film characters that delivers the lines, but overall the film was dominated by an awesome background score. The sound mixing was really great, along with the breathtaking photography, especially all the segment with the bird, landscapes and other animals. The camera angles were absolutely superb and the film unfolds some of the things that we haven't seen in the documentaries like the topics of conservation, poaching and other human activities, especially the take of wild Apls in the different seasons. "To learn takes courage. And to teach, patience of a mother." The boy was terrific, and so those shots with the animals, especially Abel in the different stages of his life. A great effort put by the crew to make such an incredible film in the unfriendly locations, mainly the animal trainers and the proper guidance from the wild/nature experts. One of the jaw-dropping scene was the face-off between the bird and the ibex. I don't know how it was done or taken an unused clip from nature film, but its addition brought the phenomenal effect to the film. Not all the sequences were lively captured, there are some CGI works too, but very well done that blends accurately. Besides the boy's friendship with the bird was like any kid who love to have one. So envious. In other side, his conflict with his father is what pushed him to get nearer to the Abel. Somewhat it relates, both, Abel and Lukas are in a same situation in their respective lives and tells how they together fight to break free from it. In the end it very clearly differentiates where everyone belong and their role in the mother nature. The story is not what you're going love, but the way it was narrated, mainly the technical brilliance makes us fall in love with it. A coming-of-age film, definitely a very rare kind with a quality narration. Medium pace, but very intense and surely can beat Disney nature films. For children, it is a must see, but for adults, it is not necessarily a must see and if you think that way, you are missing out some masterpiece of the nature's video portrait. You don't have to adore it or go after the flaws, just relax and enjoy it, that's it works. 7/10

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• The images of the wildlife are breathtaking!

  Vikingbyheart2016-09-22

  Cinema has good films that tell a story between man and animal. Among them we can mention: Born Free (1966), Brother of the Wind (1973), The Black Stallion (1979), L'ours - The Bear (1988), Cheetah (1989), Fly Away Home (1996), Duma (2005), Eight Below (2006), Le Renard et L'infant - The Fox & The Child (2007), Life of Pi (2012) and The Jungle Book (2016). In Wie Brüder im Wind (original title) or Brothers of the Wind (English title), the story revolves around a child and a bird of prey, in 1960, in some place of the Austrian alps. In nature the eagle creates two chicks, and the strongest always ends up throwing the weakest out of the nest. Thus, after being pushed by the older chick out of the nest and fall to the forest floor, which would be a death sentence for the youngest chick, he is rescued by Lukas (acted by Manuel Camacho), which takes care of the wild animal in secret. With relationship problems with his father Keller (played by Tobias Moretti, known for Das Finstere Tal - The Dark Valley - 2014), the boy finds love and companionship in the bird, named Abel. But when the time comes to release the eagle back to nature will Abel be able to reintegrate himself to the wildlife and will Lukas find his own release for a new life? The story is narrated by Jean Reno (known for Léon - The Professional - 1994), who plays the character Danzer, a forester who lives on site. The film is directed by Gerardo Olivares and Otmar Penker in a semi-documentary style. Its major highlights are photography, soundtrack and sound mixing. The images of the wildlife are breathtaking, especially the scenes made ​​with the eagle. The camera angles, including the mini camera installed on the eagle, enable the vision of all the landscape of the Austrian Alps, which is to behold. In that Brothers of the Wind does not lack anything when compared to the best documentaries about nature. The sound mixing gives realism to the narrated story, immersing the viewer in the animal life. The weak point of the film that ends up compromising the movie's final result is the script. It focuses too much on the melodrama of the boy 's relationship with his father. While the scenes of wildlife are natural, family sequences are all artificial and forced. The writers trio (Otmar Penker, Joanne Reay and Gerald Salmina) errs in trying to turn the eagle struggle to survive into something bigger, making a link in Lukas and Abel's story. The directors and writers should have focused only on the nature and eagle majesty, who is the great protagonist of the narrated story.

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• Flying high

  Alenbalz2016-07-26

  Fantastic movie about a boy and a bird (the feathered kind: an eagle), which contrasts the relationship of boy and dad. Just amazing what one can do with 3 actors, and a couple of birds, interspersed with some breathtaking scenery of the Austrian alps, in winter, spring and summer, and excellent photography (that would rival anything David Attenborogh did). Both boy and bird are struggling to cope with their surroundings and survive. The boy saves (and rears) the bird when it falls (or more likely is kicked) out of it's nest, then has to cope with the reality of having to let it go free. The heart warming boy/animal relationship, is contrasted by the boy father tension, and we are carried through the storyline with an absorbing narration by Jean Reno. A refreshing change from the typical Hollywood movies of sex, violence, car chases and explosions.

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