Film Reviews

The Brotherhood of the Wolf

• Rating:
• Director: Christophe Gans
• Starring: Emile Dequenne
• Details: Fra/142 mins/(15PG).

Gregoire de Fronsac is a young historian sent to a remote rural district of France to investigate unnatural goings on. A mysterious beast has been murdering women and children. Although initially skeptical of the locals' theories, de Fronsac brings along his blood brother, Mani, an Iroquois, schooled in the martial arts. Soon, the creature strikes again and the two men learn some terrifying truths about the town and its people. Reminiscent in style and tone (but far superior) to Tim Burto's Sleepy Hollow, The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a stylish and welcome addition to the action/drama genre. It's a genuinely exciting proposition, boasting some brilliantly choreographed action sequences and well honed characters. Only problem is, that at 142 minutes, Gans' effort is a trifle too lengthy to maintain momentum all the way through. Still, that's a reasonably small complaint for such a fine movie. Go see.

Review by Garreth Murphy