Only the Brave

A directorially polished masterpiece, to which I won't give five stars just because it sets up the character of Teller in a very clichéd way and delivers his transformation in routinely and wide-eyedly (and is ultimately a bit unnecessary for the film). Otherwise it deserves them, because I've never seen such a superbly acted, narratively balanced and emotionally gripping disaster movie. First and foremost, it's a strong and believable drama about "parenthood and work", where nothing over the top happens and the characters grow on you just by their ordinary and natural behaviour – Kosinski shows his class not only when he's fighting fires, which in his performance is one of real respect and fear, but also on a personal level and subordinating it to an enormously effective conclusion that doesn't feel pathetic at all, and I dare say that if, like me, you don't know the real events, it's guaranteed to blow you away. Great soundtrack, gorgeous cinematography and effects, perfect Teller and Connely, awesome Brolin. One of the best films of 2017, Czech distributors should be ashamed. 85% (01/29/2018)

Kosinski is a visual magician. Technically perfect image composition this time rides on a true story about firefighters. The great casting is enhanced further by the acting performances. Brolin is literally a prototype for a good guy. Jennifer Connelly is wonderful once again. We even find recruitment speeches and some mean joking. Music for guys, a homage to family obligations and lessons for young junkies. All of the minor imperfections are forgotten after the powerful finale. The real finale. That burning bear was the most beautiful and at the same time horrible thing I have ever seen. (02/03/2018)

After the lackluster Oblivion, Joseph Kosinski redeemed his reputation with me and made the best film of his career. He chose a very sensitive and destructive subject that immediately grabbed my heart and pulled me to my seat. Josh Brolin is excellent and commands incredible respect, and Miles Teller is the best young-adult actor working today. Kosinski has made a very heartfelt drama with some excellent moments including training and bullying, family issues, the transition from junkie to hero, great strategy and behind-the-scenes work by the American firefighters, and an emotionally devastating finale that had me decently shredded. A perfect film that is well acted, shot, tense and with intelligent dialogue. First five star this year. Surprise 90% (01/25/2018)

Don’t be fooled, this time Kosinski doesn't provide a neon feast for the eyes. Of course, his sense of visuals cannot be denied, and fire as an element looks impressive and perhaps too beautiful. At the same time, the firefighters' interventions are often very simplistic. But Only the Brave strikes on an emotional chord and wins the viewer over with carefully built characters, family detail, and a properly macho army feel both at the beginning during training and at the end during engagements. The ending, by the way, is flawless. Shot by shot. An excellent cast lead by Josh Brolin, who has experience with fire from his youth, and Jennifer Connelly, whom you just want to see arguing. A mainstream cast, but a film that avoids grandiose pathos and traditional pomposity. The guys couldn’t have asked for a better homage. (01/28/2018)

Since the initial trailer, I was very excited about the film. I'm very glad that someone turned the story of this firefighting unit into a film because, in my opinion, this tragic event is not very well known, and people should definitely see what tough daily work firefighters have to deal with, especially in Arizona, where fires are considered a normal everyday occurrence. Joseph Kosinski not only showed their actual work but also carefully built the atmosphere, and the character development is also at a high level. I was surprised that the film managed to depict the lives of the supporting characters, which is not very common in today’s films. It is admirable how the unit’s friendship was portrayed; they never let anyone down and truly acted like one cohesive family, where everyone cares about each other. Many people criticize the film for the first three-quarters, saying it lacks action, but that's not the main point of the film. It rather tries to show us viewers how dangerous this job really is. I have nothing to add about the acting. Brolin played the central role remarkably well. The ending was an emotional blow. Even though I knew all along that there wouldn’t be a happy ending, I still hoped for one deep down. The moments before the fire were literally heartbreaking; it must have been terrible to realize that death was just around the corner, and you could do absolutely nothing about it. For now, I give it a strong four stars, and I might decide on a higher rating over time. 85%. (02/15/2018)