BROTHERLY LOVE

US, 1985, 94 minutes, Colour.
Judd Hirsch, Karen Carlson, George Dzundza, Barry Primus.
Directed by Jeff Bleckner.

Brotherly Love is a thriller about twins, one good, one evil. It evokes memories of such thrillers as The Dark Mirror with Olivia de Havilland and Deception with Bette Davis. This time Judd Hirsch plays the twins. The evil twin is shrewd, resents his good brother, frames him for murder and terrorises his family. The police do not believe there is another twin because death records show that the bad twin has died. However, there is confrontation between the twins and an ironic ending where the good twin has to take the bad twins identity and his enormous bank account).

The film generates some tension in the dilemma or how to handle such a situation and the police. The police investigation is presented and is complicated because the victim of the murder is the daughter of a mafia chief and his thugs are out to find the killer. An entertaining telemovie thriller.

1. Interesting thriller? Psychological drama? For the television audience viewing at home?

2. The settings, Ben and his home, his work? The contrast with the world of Harry? Homes, the woods? Police precincts? Musical Score?

3. The title and its ironies? The relationship between Ben and Harry? Ultimately interchangeable? The good conquering the bad?

4. Harry, his tough stances at home, relationship with his wife and children? His work? Discipline? His not telling his children about Harry? Harry's intervention ? and Ben being framed for the murder, the arrest, the police interrogation, his lawyer getting him out? The attack on his wife? Coping with Harry's attack on his son? Harry causing him to loose his job? Ben retaliating, following the clues and discovering Harry's identity, his wife, father in law? going to his financial advisor and closing his deals? With his wife going to the father-in-law, enlisting their help? sending Harry's girlfriend home? Setting up the confrontation, the fight? Having to take Harry's identity and start a new life with his money?

5. The contrast with Harry, childhood resentment? His picking up the girl on the road, murdering her, framing Ben? His surveillance techniques and listening in? Watching? Impersonating Ben and losing him his job? At the hospital? Going to the home, frightening Ben's son? His going to the home and terrorising the wife and the irony of the mafia coming and taking him? His ringing through for his finances? His being bankrupt? following Ben's lead, the violent confrontation?

6. The family, love for Ben, his stern manner? The crisis, the boy being attacked and frightened of his father? Ben explaining matters in the hospital? his wife and her support, the sign for the true recognition? Harry's attack, Ben rescuing her? His wife going with him to defeat Harry?

7. The police, the investigation, Ben's complaints and police anger? Interrogations, clues? The pressure from the mafia? The investigator and his assistant? The information leaking, the investigator realizing his assistant's communications, his confronting him in the street, sacking him? The pressure of the Mafia on the assistant, his wife's gambling debts?

8. The daughter of the mafia man murdered, her boyfriend and their fight, his being questioned, murdered by the mafia? The mafia chief, his thugs, their ways of investigation, police contacts?

9. Harry's contacts, his finance manager and his support? The terrified young woman - sent home by Ben?

10. Harry's father in law, his grief about his daughter, the mystery, helping financially, with the confrontation, his death?

11. How plausible the plot? The bond between twins? Rivalry, good and evil? One hunting the other and then reversing roles? And finally the assumption of identity of the other?