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Films take years to produce—but, sometimes, the pieces all come together at just the right time. And as fires continue to rage on out west, Only the Brave tells the real-life story of a group of men working together to battle wildfires.
Only the Brave stars Josh Brolin as Eric Marsh, the head of a fire crew based in the small town of Prescott, Arizona. As the team fights to be the first municipal group to be awarded the elite hotshot status, they take on new recruits—including Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a recovering addict who wants to turn his life around for his infant daughter. And when they finally become the Granite Mountain Hotshots, they find themselves struggling to balance a dangerous and demanding job with their family lives.
Sitting down to watch this film is, to be perfectly honest, a somewhat daunting task. With real-life men and women currently risking their lives to battle real-life wildfires that threaten real-life communities, it’s difficult to sit down with popcorn and a drink to watch the fire-fighting action on screen. But it certainly works to give the film even more weight.
Brolin gives a powerful performance as the head of this hard-working crew. Marsh is tough and maybe a little bit crusty at times—and his attitude sometimes gets him into trouble. But that’s what makes him real. He’s a flawed character who’s dedicated to his job, his crew, and the people he loves. He and Teller’s strangely blonde-haired McDonough are the central characters in the film—the wise boss and the young screw-up who’s trying to turn his life around. But, in the background, there are so many characters and families and relationships. At times, the film seems to devote too much time to the characters’ bickering and personal mishaps and family drama—and, during those scenes, the pacing starts to drag.
It’s in the final act, though, that the film really shines. The Hotshots are called out on what initially seems to be a quick and easy job, but it turns into something much more critical. And, at that point, all of the training and the teasing and the family drama build to a powerful conclusion. The raging wildfires create a stunning and terrifying backdrop for the film’s final battle—and while the development may sometimes feel forced and drawn-out, it all pays off in the end, when viewers will realize that they’ve come to care more than they realized.
Only the Brave isn’t always an easy film to watch; it’s sometimes slower than you’d expect, and it may hit a little too close to home. But the likable cast and captivating conclusion make it a moving tribute to those who risk their lives to save others.
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