No Way Out - Gegen die Flammen

So einen Film mit dermaßen menschlichen Figuren und einem inhaltsreichen dramaturgischen Bogen hätte ich Kosinksi nicht zugetraut. Und daran kann auch die Tatsache nichts ändern, dass die Geschichte vom Leben selbst geschrieben wurde. No Way Out - Gegen die Flammen ist eine verdammte Schnulze, aber ohne billiges Sentiment, pathetisches Heldentum oder ein Begräbnis mit wehenden US-Flaggen. Das Erzählen wird manchmal interessant abgekürzt, damit man sich nur den wichtigen Sachen widmen kann. So wird sorgfältig das Charakter-Mosaik zusammengestellt, das am Ende zur emotionalen Explosion führt. Jeder Konflikt der Figuren, egal ob innerlich (Teller) oder zwischen Partnern (Brolin + Connelly), ist lebendig, authentisch und gut gespielt. Positiv bewerte ich auch die Erklärung der Feuerwehrlöschverfahren erst im letzten Drittel des Films. Es wird als ein Element zur Steigerung der Spannung genutzt. Es ist sowohl eine Antwort auf die Fragen der neugierigen Zuschauer*innen als auch die Darstellung des professionellen Fortschritts des Teams. Ein in Ruhe und visuell schlau erzählter Film mit Herz. (30.10.2018)

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. (03.02.2018)

At this moment, there isn’t a more topical movie than Only the Brave. While endless fires are ravaging California that leave dead people and scorched land in their wake, a film premiered here about people who are trying to preserve at least a part of untouched countryside. It’s quite unbelievable for a Czech viewer, but within American patriotism, this is the best-made, and essentially, catastrophic movie in a long time. (18.11.2018)

Fight Fire With Fire. This is how homage to genuine heroes should be paid. It should not be done in a way that you exaggerate actions and turn them into unrealistic divine interventions from above, not by depriving their qualities of even a hint of character defects, not so that there is no room for anything else for pathos, waving flags and soaring speeches. On the contrary, you devote most of the footage to the characters, the relationships between them and their shortcomings and flaws; showing their everyday struggle. The result is that as they are written (and played!) in a way that you care for them and in the final (literally) inferno you can immediately afford to dilute an otherwise nice realistic approach to this topic with a hidden bit of pathos and ... And it will work for you, because it suddenly has an unusually sincere emotional impact (despite the fact that you know from the beginning where it is all going) like no other catastrophic movie in ages. Not to mention the overall direction. Although we could have expected a well-thought-out and impressive audiovisual (majestic fires have a purely hypnotic dimension) from Kosinský, this time a script was added, which managed to elevate the seemingly clear, cheaply celebrating genre movie into a true, slow-building drama based on the characters. You will get into it. Which, despite the delicate topics, is not typical for a similar type of movie. PS: If you get interested in it, I will recommend watching the documentary miniseries Fire Chasers. (24.01.2018)

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% (25.01.2018)