Fighting fires in the wild is a delicate human dance with a raging, unpredictable force.
It’s successful only with a mastery of weather, fuel and wind. If our image of firefighting involves mainly a big red truck and a hose, “Only the Brave” director Joseph Kosinski tweaks that image by adding a crew of yellow-shirted mountain men wielding chainsaws and pickaxes to tame a raging blaze with ditches and torches.
Written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, “Only the Brave” is based on the GQ magazine article “No Exit,” by Seth Flynn, which recounts in devastating detail Arizona’s 2013 Yarnell fire, and the Granite Mountain hotshots crew who fought it.
Kosinski, who has a background in architecture, is known for his meticulous visual style and digital effects. Those have made for some stylish, if emotionally remote, films, but “Only the Brave” is decidedly full-blooded, thanks to the detail brought to its characters and their relationships.
Kosinski and the writers lay out the pieces of this affecting story with the same precision that Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) brings to packing a knapsack with his gear. Training montages, pranks and close calls demonstrate the way these men use their tools in the wilderness — to swiftly cut “lines” in the ground, fell trees and deploy flame against flame. We fully comprehend the danger when we see their last resort for survival — protective foil shelters — unfurled during drills.
A focus on protocol and planning is tantamount to the way this story unfolds and a reflection of how Marsh’s mind works. Doggedly pursuing a Type 1 certification, unheard of for his municipal department, he inspires his roughnecks to follow him into the blaze with dedication, passion, obsession and preparation.
His obsession often puts him at odds with his wife, Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), a headstrong, loving woman who rehabilitates horses — and often Eric, too.
Brolin, bearded and soot-streaked, has never been better, and the role seems to have been written just for him. His Marsh is tough, gritty and fair, and his brand of masculinity draws its strength from vulnerability as well as fellowship and trust. “Only the Brave” celebrates the firefighters as co-workers, mentors and brothers.
James Badge Dale is excellent in a supporting role as Marsh’s hard-charging deputy, and Taylor Kitsch steals every scene he’s in, playing an impish, charming dirtbag.
But the film revolves around the relationship between Marsh and Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller). Skittish McDonough, nicknamed Donut, is a former junkie who applies for the squad when he becomes a father. Marsh recognizes a bit of himself in Donut, and takes a chance on him.
Kosinski’s film works thanks to its big beating heart, but the director never shortchanges the visuals. His way of capturing the wilderness aflame is stunning, surreal and terrifyingly beautiful as pines fall off cliffs, sending up a fireworks display of sparks.
This true-life tale will touch your heart — and keep holding onto it long after the credits roll.
‘Only the Brave’
4 stars
Rating: PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material.
Cast: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, James Badge Dale, Taylor Kitsch, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, Andie MacDowell
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Running time: 2 hours, 13 minutes
