Color, PG-13 (mature themes, mild violence, language), 92 min., PPV 90 days, DVD $26.98, VHS rental
DVD: no extras
Street: July 6, Prebook: DVD June 1, VHS June 15
First Run: L, March 2004, <$1 mil.
Cast: Tim Blake Nelson (Holes), David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks), Emily Mortimer (The Sleeping Dictionary), Larry Pine (The Royal Tenenbaums), Lois Smith (Minority Report)
Director: Helmut Schleppi
SCREEN MEDIA
Story Line: When their mother (Smith) dies, naïve farmers Jake (Nelson) and Josh (Arquette) venture to St. Petersburg, Russia, to find a woman to share in a sexless housekeeping arrangement. While there, they meet Angela, a British newswoman making a documentary about mail-order brides.
Bottom Line: What an unexpected delight and a refreshing relief from the usual formulaic studio-produced romantic comedies churned out by the studios. Framed like a documentary, with a few talking head interviews to complete the illusion, this low-key, subtle character study of a pair of misfits-out-of-water is a winner from beginning to unexpected end. Nelson and Arquette deliver mildly irritating personalities--Jake is too exacting, Josh is irresponsible--that appear to be heading for disaster as they visit an exotic foreign country for the first time. They manage to survive due to fate, not their wits, and the story unfurls with elegant twists. The low budget and high-definition video origins work in its favor by adding to the documentary feel. Even the film's back-story adds to the amusement: The script is based on a genuine mail-order bride business called A Foreign Affair (which was the original title of the film), and some in the cast are part of an actual St. Petersburg tour. No wonder it looks authentic. A generous 90-day PPV holdback, theatrical-sized posters and the presence of Nelson and Arquette could help 2 Brothers overcome its arthouse limitations and find a wider audience. --Buzz McClain