David R. Walker

^{Brothers Under Fire}

Director: Justin Chadwick

Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Ashton Sanders, Solly Macleod, Tommy Martinez, Omar Chapparro, Laura Osma, Orlando Pineda, Fredy Yate, James Keach

Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

British director Justin Chadwick who brought cinema goers such films as Tulip Fever, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The First Grader and The Other Boleyn Girl returns to the big screen with the Highland Film Group’s action film Brothers Under Fire starring Kiefer Sutherland (Phone Booth, Melancholia) as battle weary American army captain Jordan Wright.

Wright joins his army squadron on a special trip to a wedding in Mexico whereby Roberto played by Tommy Martinez is to marry Isabella played by Laura Osma. The squadron includes Danny, Lieutenant Carlson played by Ashton Sanders (Moonlight, I Wanna Dance with Somebody) and Orlando Pineda as Miguel.

The night of the wedding during the festivities one of the soldiers Danny played by Sonny Macleod has an altercation with a petulant cartel drug deputy whose brother is the vicious cartel leader who feels nothing at executing a whole village full of people including women and children.

Justin Chadwick captions Brothers Under Fire by showing an opening sequence in Syria whereby the squadron are bonding after a heated battle and they take a photo of the 5 of them before Roberto invites them to his Mexican wedding.

The wedding becomes a bloody affair as the cartel boss’s brother is killed and then the American squadron are under fire when the cartel goes after them and the rest of Roberto and Isabella’s village. This ultimately leads to a good old fashioned showdown in a town square.

Most of Brothers Under Fire was shot in Colombia and unfortunately the director does not give the viewer a proper sense of location, so one is not sure if the action is set in Mexico or Colombia. Either way its set in a poverty stricken Latin America country whereby the drug cartels have taken over and are terrorising the local population.

Jordan Wright well played by Kiefer Sutherland encourages his men, the original squadron to protect these people from this vile drug cartel resulting in a riveting bullet riddled showdown.

If audiences like a straight forward action film with no frills then Brothers Under Fire is recommended viewing. There is a surprising plot twist but ultimately the final showdown comes with sacrifice and an effortless display of bravado. With all violence, it’s the women and children that are left to survive after the devastation.

Brothers Under Fire gets a film rating of 7 out of 10 and is a worthy action film featuring machismo, murder and mayhem. The final showdown is something to behold.

This is a standard action film, which stays true to the genre and will definitely find a loyal audience.

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