Half-brothers
When Renato’s father (Luis Gerardo Méndez) decides to go to the United States in search of work, he stays behind with the promise that one day his father will return with money to build him a plane.
Years have passed and his father never returned. Renato is now a successful businessman, has a fiancée and a stepson with whom he cannot create deep connections.
For him, parents and children do not need to be best friends. A belief built after suffering from abandonment during his childhood.
Everything changes when Katherine, his father’s current wife, calls him and tells him that he is sick, on the verge of death and wants to see him.
Suddenly, Renato discovers that he has a younger brother named Asher (Connor Del Rio) and the two embark on a journey of self-discovery in search of someone named Eloise.
Is Half-Siblings Good?
This was a movie I chose unpretentiously at 10pm on a Saturday. The phrase I used specifically was “I wanted something to do”.
I am happy to share that, definitely, Stepbrothers was that something. However, there is also a dramatic haze that surrounds the story of these two brothers who had never met.
Focusing on the character dynamics, Renato carries within himself a great resentment towards Uncle Sam. The idea of having to travel to the United States because of a father he doesn’t even love makes him completely angry.
Meanwhile, Asher is a different guy (some say he’s weird), he can’t be serious and says whatever comes to mind.
When they meet for the first time, without knowing who the other is, their interaction leaves a terrible impression. To top it off, Asher tells Renato, a Mexican, that he’s “against the wall.” This makes things even more strange.
The “tense” atmosphere that fills the room when the two are officially introduced at the hospital doesn’t surprise viewers.
Throughout the plot, we can see Asher’s effort to connect with his brother and Renato’s effort to stay as far away as possible. They are opposites and couldn’t be more distant. And if it’s up to Renato alone, they’ll stay that way.
For me, the highlight of this film goes beyond the dynamic between the two main characters. In a not-so-subtle way, the plot manages to expose a deep-rooted prejudice among Americans towards people who are from other countries.
The hatred that Renato carries for the United States comes largely from the fact that his father left when he was a child. But in his brief time trying to understand what happened, he experiences many situations similar to those that kept his father away.
I really like the approach to healing from trauma and how our actions do indeed reflect aspects of these same traumatic events.
Step Brothers is a fun film that makes you laugh and cry, but it is, above all, a film that addresses the personal growth and emotional healing of two adults who were hurt during their childhood, due to a third adult who could not accept his own choices.
It is a film that goes by quickly and is definitely worth watching.
