CheekyChicago

Initially I thought Brothers was going to be an anti-war story. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Brothers is a thought provoking dramatic film that will haunt you with its performances and messages of family.

Sam, a Marine captain (Tobey Maguire – nominated for a Golden Globe), is an upstanding family man. His father, Hank (Sam Shepard), is an ex-Marine and extremely proud of his son. Grace (Natalie Portman) is the husband of Sam and the mother of their two children. Both Hank and Grace are proud of Sam, but when Sam is called to serve his fourth tour of duty, this becomes a point of contention for Grace and Sam.

Just before Sam ships off, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), is released from prison. He is considered the complete screw-up by his father. However, Sam has a bond with Tommy from their hardnosed father’s upbringing which ultimately created the different paths each brother took.

While Sam is at war, Tommy begins to “re-form” himself and decides to step in and help Grace and his two nieces. While this is going on, Sam is captured and tortured by the Taliban and presumed dead. However, Sam returns home, leaving everything in Afghanistan, except his rage – he is a shell of a person who only knows how to feed into his anger. It’s at this point that Sam becomes suspicious of Grace and Tommy.

The acting in Brothers is outstanding. I was a bit suspicious of Maguire, but he was the real highlight for me. He literally seemed crazed with PTSD. Gyllenhaal is always great, but it was a little hard to buy that he was a dangerous armed robber. I quickly got over it because of the chemistry he had with Maguire. Portman’s performance is not as in-your-face as the others; she is much more subdued and collected.

Jim Sheridan (In America, In The Name of the Father) directed this re-make of a 2004 Danish film. Sheridan always seems to grow and develop his directing techniques. The performances he released from the two daughters (Bailee Madison, who is nominated for a Golden Globe, and Taylor Geare) are mesmerizing. These reminded me of the young daughters from In America.

The movie is very serious and you believe everyone is pained. However, there are certain scenes that are a bit over the top, specifically a family dinner where Sam’s rage ends predictably.

I have a feeling this will be nominated for multiple Oscars, and it should…it’s rare to find a movie this well crafted.