The latest feature from writer, director and star Ari Gold opens with a stark black and white sweeping shot over the skies of San Francisco before the camera makes it’s way to street level and catches Ari hustling down a quiet street. Colour starts to bleed in, sounds, the thrum of traffic and footfall. A cascading musical score kicks in and all of a sudden what began as a drab and dreary picture, removed from the world below, becomes a vibrant humming snapshot of city life. It’s a fitting introduction to a story about the messiness of life and the beauty we try to find in it’s complications.
Ari and co-star Ethan Gold, his younger twin brother, set off through the beating heart of the city in a bid to help progress Ethan’s struggling career as a gigging musician while also making their way back to their familial home after concerns arise for the welfare of their 99 year old father, Herb. Along the way they’ll have fleeting encounters with other artists and creatives and take us on a scattershot journey through San Francisco’s cultural hub, forging connections and relationships as the night darkens around them.
It’s a wonderful melodic odyssey, made all the more impressive that what we are watching is experimental live cinema. The entire feature is filmed as one long continuous take, with the cast improvising their dialogue and their reactions as the evening wears on. The performances are great and there is a real sense of depth and honesty to the brothers relationship. Their bickering, jesting, prodding banter feels genuine because it is just that; they’ve had their whole lives to perfect it. Old wounds being opened feel hurtful and raw but it’s drenched in an honesty that only comes from the closeness of family ties. Lara Louise is a standout addition to the cast, her pixieish singer Louise a charming foil to Ari’s manic energy.
The standout feature is the film’s music, a gorgeous soundtrack of ethereal folk rock, the brothers Gold dueling and harmonizing through the film in pubs, on the street and eventually back home where they grew up. The music is soulful and enchanting and their constant rehearsal’s speak to message of the film that life can be challenging, a struggle that you sometimes have to repeat over and over again in order to do better.
Ultimately Brother Verses Brother delivers on it’s promise of an emotional and endearing journey that encapsulates what it is to try to live and to try to love. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the swansong of their dad, Herb, an accomplished author and artist himself and someone who’s shadow looms large over the boy’s identities. It’ beautiful and messy and complex and imaginative. Just like art. Just like life.