Brothers in Arms (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:15
Fresh:11
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.2/10
Theatrical Release:Aug 27, 2004 Limited
Synopsis: The fierce debate leading up to a presidential election involves some tough talking on both sides of the political divide. But when John Kerry and George W. Bush went into battle in the buildup to... The fierce debate leading up to a presidential election involves some tough talking on both sides of the political divide. But when John Kerry and George W. Bush went into battle in the buildup to the 2004 race to the White House, the usual political mudslinging contained a formidable war of words, and most of the words were about war. The Vietnam War has long cast a shadow over American politics and Kerry's tenure as a soldier in Vietnam meant that the subject was put firmly back on the political agenda once he decided to run for president. Filmmaker Paul Anderson picked up on this, and decided to trace Kerry's service record during the war, discovering that the senator served as commander of a six-man team aboard Patrol Craft Fast 94, which traversed the Mekong Delta river in 1969. Anderson tracked down the surviving five members of the boat crew--including Kerry--and offers their various recollections in BROTHERS IN ARMS. Doubts have been cast over Kerry's service record, but the glowing testimonials from his fellow crew members quickly dispel any lingering ambiguities surrounding his time in the jungle. Entirely partisan in its approach, Anderson's film adroitly profiles the blossoming authority of the young John Kerry, and offers a tantalizing glimpse of a man heading immutably towards a future life in the political spectrum. [More]
Starring: John Kerry, David Alston, Mike Medeiros, Del Sandusky
Starring: John Kerry, David Alston, Mike Medeiros, Del Sandusky, Gene Thorson
Director: Paul Anderson
Director: Paul Anderson
Studio: First Run Features
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Reviews for Brothers in Arms
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the talking heads format just doesn't make for compelling film, despite its timeliness Full Review |
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Serviceable, not high ranking. Full Review |
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The vets tell the truth, by any reasonable measure, and then the filmmaker stirs the elements as filmmakers always do, whether partisan or neutral. Full Review |
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Inevitably, the film has the air of an extended campaign ad, but that doesn't make its subjects and the stories they tell any less compelling. Full Review |
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Alexander, a political writer and radio host, gets riveting, emotional confessionals from the veterans. Full Review |
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For a feature film, this clearly partisan documentary about the Swift boat crew that served under John Kerry in Vietnam is pretty slight, but for a campaign commercial -- which is what it feels like -- it's pretty long. Full Review |
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Will this film do Kerry any good, or the Swifties any harm? My bet is: Not a bit, one way or the other. Full Review |
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The documentary is well edited, well paced, and feels genuine. It's educational, important and enjoyable independent of the Kerry campaign. Full Review |
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Basically a longer, less slick version of the official Kerry profile unveiled at the Democratic National Convention. Full Review |
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Tellingly, [John] Kerry is a much more compelling speaker during a 1970s protest rally than in the contemporary footage, where he carefully chooses his words. Full Review |
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The four men offer powerful eyewitness testimony against the subsequent charges that Kerry didn't deserve his Silver Star for courage and his three Purple Hearts. Full Review |
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N/R
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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A respectfully modest effort that allows Kerry and his Swift boat comrades to tell their stories in their own voices. Full Review |
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Filmed before the Swift boat veterans brouhaha, Paul Alexander's partisan documentary is effective filmmaking. Full Review |
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The movie's main contribution is its fresh look at the Vietnam War, being refought in the Kerry-Bush presidential campaign at the time of the film's release. Full Review |
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As for the candidate, like Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People, he's wisely content to remain a supporting character in his own life story. Full Review |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
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| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
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