User reviews

What percentage of movies does a person go to see these days that leave them wondering what happened to their eight to ten dollars? ANSWER: TOO MANY! This movie isn't like that. It is a story about real people that are sometimes a combination of both likable and unlikable.

Downside:

Not enough character development & some plot lines left twisting in the wind.

Upside:

Forces viewers to think about the choices they have made for good or bad in their own lives.

Well acted by: Scott Cohen, Judd Hirsch, Susan Floyd, Ato Essandoh and Elliot Korte.

Contains some good lighthearted humor.

There were a lot of good raw materials here, but the makers did not flesh out the characters or back story nearly enough to create a satisfying experience.

We got a taste of different appetizers that we thought might lead somewhere but they never did.

I understand that the father led a morally dubious life and was now dabbling in religion, but he never explains beyond one line.

Meanwhile the depiction of secular Jews' relationship with tradition was sadly accurate according to my experience. A sort of indifference or tacit mockery. One reviewer mentioned anti-Semitism. Probably relating to a scene involving gambling during a major religious service.

What was the original nature of the relationship between our lead character and the woman? Did she choose his brother because this guy left town, or had she already chosen him? What makes one person toe the line of respectability and one give in to his demons? More could have been said about that.

Why was the business struggling? Let's hear more about what it's like to run a small business in today's "Big Box" economy. Who were the laid off workers that used to work for the good brother? Were they trained carpenters, or learned from this family over many years?

What was good was the look and feel of the characters, the street, and the shop. I believed it. It was interesting to see a rugged, 6'1 alpha male as the Jewish lead coming home to Brooklyn. That's original. As was Judd Hirsch as a philanderer.

It was a nice, thoughtful little film, but missing the kind of core writing and insight that makes a nice film a memorable one.

Interesting story of aJewish prodigal son returning to claim His rightful place after the death of his brother..

Another Max Medina movie!

This one I found on Netflix. Umm... What do I say? It's not bad. It's not good. It's just there.

I made it to half the movie and sadly it didn't suck me in. The movie felt all over the place. Like some romance thrown in that's not good, not bad, but ok I guess. Some family history and rough interactions thrown in that's not good, not bad, but ok I guess. Some passion for woodwork thrown in there that's not good, not bad, but ok I guess. Some bad prison history angle thrown in that's not good, not bad, but ok I guess.

You see what's happening here? 17 characters more and I'm done.

I chose to watch this film at Tribeca based on Judd Hirsch and Scott Cohen and found it to be one of the best movies in the festival. Both leading actors deliver a well rounded sensitive performance that seems to match the characters on a personal level. The director did a great job bringing the characters and story to life with skill that is usually not seen in a first-time production.

One interesting aspect of this film is the love of woodwork and New York City (Brooklyn in specific). The movie revolves around the family furniture making business and weaves delicate cinematography of both carpentry and ordinary Brooklyn life – again kudos to the director on this fine choice.

This is gem and I would whole heartedly recommend it (I'm sure it will make it to the screen).

I understand this film to be a debut feature and as such, it is very impressive. It has the feel and pacing of a "true indie", yet director Todd Yellin clearly possesses the photographic and editorial vision, command and judgment of a mature and seasoned professional. The shots are well framed and thought out and serve to move the story forward. He, and screenwriter Ivan Solomon deliver a story that has much more depth and lyricism than typical "paint by numbers" type scripts. It's a story that needs Judd Hirsch caliber character talent to have a shot at working. Judd is fantastic as usual; as are Scott Cohen and the beautiful Susan Floyd. The real surprise though is Elliot Korte who plays Adam Groden. Yellin was able to coax nuance out of the young actor in a role that could have been easily devalued by stereotype or overreach. Anyway, I found the film refreshing and entertaining.

I found this movie thought-provoking, and its ambiguity refreshing in a world of quick-fix films where we are manipulated into loving the "good guy" and hating the "bad guy." Scott Cohen, a very handsome television actor, does a great job of portraying the family black sheep/lost child who aspires to gain his father's love and respect, as well as that of his widowed sister-in-law with whom he apparently has a history. Judd Hirsch plays against his usual good guy image as a father who triangulated his sons and now is left with the one he always rejected.

When I saw this at the Tribeca Film Festival, I was enchanted by the lovely way the sawdust was used to portray a family tradition, as explained by the director.

This is a fitting successor to the classic "Ordinary People." I just realized, Judd Hirsch was in that, too!

I saw Brother's Shadow at the Tribeca Film Festival and loved it! Judd Hirsch and Scott Cohen are great as father and son. The film follows Scott Cohen from parole in Alaska back to his family in Brooklyn. He shows up there because his brother has died, and he embarks on a journey to slowly repair his estranged relationships with his brother's wife and child and his father who has never forgiven him for being the black sheep of the family. The story takes us deep into the hearts and minds of this family and allows you to more deeply understand the complexity of their lives. Also, the imagery of the woodworking business and the Brooklyn backdrop sets the tone for this rich and revealing family portrait.

One of the things that interested me most about this film is the way the characters and their associated histories are developed on the fly. I suppose the writers wanted us to gain interest in the characters by not force feeding their characters. The premise of using the art and craft of furniture design and construction was a unique theme and/or analogy for what families/siblings go through in life. The complexity of having a twin serve as a surrogate father and even husband added great tension towards making this film emotionally interesting. Also, although the story was not one that the masses might directly relate to (i.e. Jewish/twins/family business) the themes are fairly universal as every family has a black sheep in it. That made it very engaging.

Kudos to the writers of this film for creating a supremely engaging drama. The curious character development is indicative of a nuanced and well schooled writing team. The audience member cannot but help but to feel that (s)he must make wrenching emotional decisions pitting the cerebral against the libidinal. The viewer has an opportunity to develop the character herself, though her predictions are rarely validated.

Credit is also due to the filmmakers for breathing life into the setting. The wood-shop is transformed into a unique persona as the film unfolds, with its own traits, faults, a variety of highly charged relationships, and of course a fate inexorably tied to that of the other principals.

Make sure to catch this one at your local art-house.