Thoughts: Only The Brave Made Me Cry

You have to be crazy to fight fires. You have to be even crazier if you don't feel anything by the end of this movie. Manly man tears were shed for Only the Brave, which is based on a true story.  

The film follows a group of fire fighters in Arizona as they do everything they can to be certified Hot Shots and take the lead on saving homes. Through determination and inspiration from their leader, played by Josh Brolin, they face the mighty fires Arizona has to offer. I want to focus on Brolin, as his character is the backbone of this film. He is superb as the leader and on several occasions he makes impactful speeches. His journey throughout the film, both in front and away from fires, makes the end of the film that more impactful. 

A quick shout out to Miles Teller as newcomer Donut; yup, that's his nickname during the film and it's well deserved. While we're on acting, someone finally gave Taylor Kitsch a meaty side role. In addition to the acting, their chemistry on screen helped to sell the film. The crux of this film is that the bonding and chemistry between each firefighter felt distinct and with a unique personality. 

The only shortcoming of the film is its run time. Coming in at just over 2 hours, the journey is rather long, but that adds to the emotional payoff at the end of the film. There are more highs than lows, but when the lows hit, they gut punch you in the eyes. This film is great for its effective use of heightened danger from fires, a look into a firefighters life, and the struggle to overcome politics and become Hot Shots. 

Only the Brave will pull on your emotions and send you over the edge with each fire. Don't wait to see this at home because the added big screen gives more weight to the dangers involved. If anything, see this movie for the on screen force that Josh Brolin brings to the table.

- Mike