Since we wanted to see the new movie "Brotherhood of the Wolf" anyway, I thought I’d write up a review of it for the CT and share our perceptions of this. Movie reviews, by nature, are a horribly subjective thing. Mine will be no different in that regard. However, I hope to avoid the "professional" review trap of losing sight of the reason most of us watch movies: to be entertained. Granted, even that is subjective, since the reason I might find a movie entertaining could very well be the reason you would not. Rather then using this forum to declare that a movie is "good" or "bad", instead I will try to detail the aspects of the movie that I either liked or disliked, and from that, hopefully you can determine if it sounds like something you’d like to see yourself. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" ("Le Pacte des Loupes"), currently in release in a limited number of theaters, is a somewhat difficult movie to categorize. In French with English subtitles, it contains elements of historical drama, gothic horror, and an unusual mix of almost "James Bond" style subterfuge and plots. Set in pre-Revolutionary France, the story is told in "flash back" recollection by our narrator (whose identity we do not learn until the end of the movie). The basic plot is that a beast, presumed to be a wolf of some sort, has settled into Gevaudan and has claimed a large number of victims. Gregoire de Fronsac (played by Samuel le Bihan), a naturalist, is sent by the King of France to investigate and help track down the beast. He is accompanied by Mani (Mark Dacascos), a Mohawk Indian Fronsac met and befriended in the Americas. Soon they are embroiled in the deep secrets of the region, battling superstition and suspicion as they try to unravel the mystery of the beast. Interestingly, the story is loosely based on a real occurrence that transpired in the region between 1764 and 1767. More than 100 victims, mostly women and children, fell victim to the Beast of Gevaudan. The background on this story can be read at the movie’s website, along with other materials relating to the movie and the film adaptation of the legend. Based on the nearly sell out crowd at today’s showing, this film is likely to achieve a higher popularity than last year’s foreign language hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The story in "Wolf" plays much more like a distinctly possible plot line and less like extreme fantasy. According to the website, the only character in the movie that did not exist in the real story is Mani. "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is rated "R", and for good reason. This film is not for the weak stomached, nor for those who find sexual scenes offensive. The fight scenes are exceptionally well choreographed, and my son found the opening fight wherein Mani uses a quarterstaff to subdue a group of thugs exceptionally well done. Graphic scenes of dead bodies (both human and animal), some in various stages of dismemberment, are treated in a matter of fact way, including one of a nude young woman missing part of one leg and a good portion of her abdomen. Likewise, a couple of the scenes take place in the local brothel, presenting the audience with ample shots of nudity. Whether the graphic nature of the brothel scenes is really necessary to the plot, or whether it was gratuitous, will be up to the opinion of each viewer. However, the interaction between Fronsac and the secretive prostitute, Sylvia (Monica Bellucci), which takes place primarily in the brothel, is essential to the movie. Since the movie is subtitled (and I do not speak French), I can only gauge the performance of the actors based on actions, rather than delivery of lines. On that, the entire cast appeared to do an admirable job of presenting us with believable characters. The costuming and settings show a good attention to historical detail. If I had any "beef" about the film, I think it would be the rather copious use of what appeared to be Eastern Martial Arts techniques, especially by the character Mani. Still, that would be a minor issue, and one that I would not be dogmatic about, since I cannot say that such a person would not have known such fighting techniques from his own culture. All in all, my wife, my son, and I all enjoyed "Brotherhood of the Wolf". While it has not yet seemed to have achieved much in the way of "acclaim", I am predicting this one will be this year’s foreign "hit", and will likely achieve at the very least cult status.

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