When directors more suited to big, bumbling and mindless action flicks take on films “based on true events,” there’s reason to be skeptical of the outcome. In the best case scenario, we get a film like Peter Berg’s “Lone Survivor” which, certainly, isn’t without faults and fails to understand the term subtlety, but never feels as if the story behind the events is taking second seat to spectacle. On the worst case scenario end of the spectrum, we have Michael Bay productions such as “Pearl Harbor,” “13 Hours” or even Berg’s own “Patriots Day.” Needless to say, Joseph Kosinski , best known for the Tom Cruise vehicle “Oblivion” and “Tron:Legacy” at the helm of “Only The Brave” (formerly known as “Granite Mountain Hotshots“) wasn’t an obvious choice. With a writing team of Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer whose credits between them include “American Hustle,” “Black Hawk Down” and “Transformers:The Last Knight” the final product becomes harder to predict.
However, there’s no denying the intrigue and cinematic appeal of the material, treating firefighters to the big screen treatment that police officers are given constantly. That, along with an awards season friendly release date, means the film could surprise viewers.
The key here, considering the devastation of the event, is delicacy. Luckily they’ve assembled quite a talented and eclectic bunch including Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly and Josh Brolin, performers who can bolster just about any film they star in. Here’s the official synopsis:
All men are created equal… then, a few become firefighters. Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. As most of us run from danger, they run toward it – they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire.
Co-starring Andie MacDowell, Jeff Bridges, Taylor Kitsch and James Badge Dale, “Only The Brave” opens on October 20th.
