Title: Half Brothers
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Connor Del Rio, José Zúñiga
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

What It Is: Renato (Méndez) was but a young boy when his father Evaristo (Zúñiga) left for America in search of a job following the financial collapse of the Mexican economy. The only problem is he never came back. Now the young boy is an executive at an aviation company. When he receives a phone call about his father being on his deathbed Renato is, as you would be, skeptical about seeing the man that abandoned his family. But there’s more to this story than meets the eye. That is what Renato is about to find out.

What We Think: There’s something to a story like this. A real heart at the center. Coming from director Luke Greenfield that’s somewhat of a surprise. It could’ve gone the way of most of Greenfield’s previous films. It could’ve been a schlocky unfunny mess. Instead, the heart he was once able to craft (in the FANTASTIC Girl Next Door, if you don’t like it fight me) is back. The chemistry between Méndez and Del Rio is really good. The two play their roles wonderfully. One of my favorite things is the dialogue BETWEEN the two brothers. It’s playful and funny.  Greenfield’s hand is light and he lets scenes breathe JUST enough. It’s good work by a director with a less than stellar reputation. That ending….hoo boy that is a good ending. Even if you’re able to crack the code of HOW it ends it’s nonetheless impactful. Equally, I think that Méndez plays Renato’s arc so well. He gives him the bitterness and then the humanity needed for that character to really make sense. Wonderful work from Luis Gerardo Méndez.

Our Grade: B-, I did not expect to enjoy this when I saw Greenfield’s name. Damn it was some great stuff. An emotional journey of fathers and sons. Most importantly this is an immigrant’s tale. One of many in 2020 that show that those same immigrant tales are American tales. There’s just something about the beauty in the simple stories. That’s done so well. From the fun and funny dialogue to the compassionate and wonderful characters, this is one everyone can and should enjoy! Keep it here for our interview with the composer for this Jordan Seigel.