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ONLY THE BRAVE (12A)

When the going gets tough, the tough stick together in Joseph Kosinski’s flame-scorched drama, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who lost their lives battling a deadly 2013 wildfire in Arizona.

Inspired by a magazine article about this rough and ready, beer-chugging band of brothers, Only The Brave wears its patriotic heart on its Stars & Stripes-emblazoned sleeve but also contrives engaging human drive away from the inferno. Impressive special effects bring the wildfires to life but it’s an ensemble cast of awardwinners who effectively turn up the heat, led by Josh Brolin as the risk-taking crew chief and Miles Teller as his self- destructive new recruit, who threatens to become the weak link in the Hotshots’ armour. Superintendent Eric Marsh (Brolin) oversees the dayto-day training of municipal firefighters including his righthand man Jesse Steed (James Badge Dale) and Christopher Mackenzie (Taylor Kitsch). With the support of Fire Chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff

James Badge Dale as Jesse Steed, Josh Brolin as Eric Marsh and Ralph Alderman as evaluator Hayes in Only The Brave

Bridges), Eric intends to secure “hotshot” certification for his hard-working crew, which would allow them to advance to the front line rather than always clearing the path for other teams.

Only The Brave is a stirring account of events leading up to the crew’s final stand.

We root for the firefighters, even though we know the tragic outcome in advance, and the cast puts flesh on to the characters’ weary bones as locations go up in