Four Brothers review

In the 1965 western The Sons Of Katie Elder, John Wayne and Dean Martin play two of four brothers who return to their hometown for the funeral of their mother and to avenge the death of their father. The plot bears an uncanny resemblance to Four Brothers in which four sons return to Detroit for the funeral of their murdered mother and then proceed to hunt down her killers. The similarities aren't confined to the plot. Four Brothers boasts shoot outs that are more akin to scenes from a western than a contemporary urban drama.

As the director of Boyz N The Hood, John Singleton is not unfamiliar with depicting street violence, but with Four Brothers, he has added an exaggerated and stylised Peckinpah-esque brutality. The brothers, brandishing an arsenal that would shame some countries, engage in brazen gunfights in broad daylight while the public, not to mention the police, are conspicuous by their absence. Such elements distance Four Brothers from reality, but in so doing also give the film a distinct and engaging boldness.

Helping to ground the film's more outlandish sensibilities is the strong cast, headed by the always impressive Mark Wahlberg. He is one of the few A-list actors who has a genuine street savvy edge. You get a sense that were it not for good fortune, Wahlberg could easily have ended up more like the hot headed troublemaker Bobby Mercer instead of the actor portraying him.

The "heavyweight f***-up", Bobby, along with his three other brothers, ex-soldier Angel (Tyrese Gibson), aspiring musician Jack (Garrett Hedlund) and budding businessman Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin) were adopted by the ballsy Evelyn (Fionnula Flanagan) after being considered too rough for conventional adoption agencies. Still by no means saints, the brothers had grown up to become, thanks to Evelyn's disciplined upbringing, "congressman compared to what they would have been," according to local cop Lieutenant Green (Terence Howard).

After Evelyn is murdered during the course of a liquor store robbery, the brothers reunite, though Bobby stresses to Green, "I didn't come back for the funeral." Reluctant to entrust the capture of their mother's killer to the police who he claims "couldn't find tits in a strip joint," Bobby and his brothers ignore Green's warning not to "take on all Detroit by your damn self" and embark on their bloody trail of vigilantism.

Singleton has a confidence borne of experience. He is prepared to take risks and clearly knows his strengths. In less assured hands, Four Brothers could easily have degenerated into clichéd pulp, but aided by convincing performances and a taut script, it offers a fresh twist on an old tale.

Kevin Murphy