Review of “Brothers”

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by Justin Veals in Movie Reviews

My first review will be for the movie Brothers that stars Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tobey Maguire as members of the Cahill Family. It is based on a Danish film of the same, and directed by Jim Sheridan, who directed the classic My Left Foot.

The basic premise of the movie is laid out in the trailer. Captain Sam Cahill, played by Tobey Maguire, goes off to war in Afghanistan. After his helicopter is shot down over a lake, he is pronounced dead. However, he is not dead. He has been captured and being held prisoner by Afghanis. When he finally returns home, he is disturbed by the new closeness his wife and brother now share. On top of that, he is suffering from post-traumatic stress and begins to fall to angry little pieces.

Natalie Portman plays his wife, Grace, who is left to raise their two daughters in the face of the tragic “death” of her husband. She does well in what may be considered her first truly adult role. There is a lot of crying for her in this movie, but I found the really meaty emotional bits of her portrayal of Widow Grace Cahill in very small but torrid waves that would wash over her face in some of the scenes. They were brief, but much more powerful than the all-out crying scenes the movie displays.

Jake Gyllenhaal is cast as Tommy Cahill, Sam’s convict brother. The movie begins with Sam picking up Tommy from prison. It is apparent from the beginning that Sam loves Tommy. They are brothers through and through. The best scenes for Gyllenhaal are when his character has to deal with his Father, Hank Cahill – played wonderfully by Sam Shepard. Tommy’s father is ex-military. It is clear that Sam is his favorite son. This is not lost on Tommy who proclaims during one scene, “I would slit my own throat to bring him back, dad.”

The bulk of this movie tugs on family ties. A wife loses her husband, two daughters lose their father, a father loses his son, and two brothers are ripped apart by death. In the trailer, Tommy yells, “This is a family matter!” All and all, that is what the movie shows us. It shows us how easy grief turns into love; disdain rolls into affection; and how loss can transform into hope.

As far as performances go, Natalie Portman is solid, but her character is given little room for Portman to spread her acting wings. Plus, Grace Cahill really is just your typical grieving widow. Having said that, I would watch Natalie Portman read the phonebook if given the opportunity, a fact that seems to at least moderately upset my wife.

Jake Gyllenhaal lends a boyish charm to Tommy Cahill. His character is funny at times and angry at others. Like I said before, he really shines when he shares the scene with Sam Shepard as his father, Hank.

Tobey Maguire is actually the big reason why I think this movie could have been better. He seems miscast as the older brother and the Marine. His boyish face constantly reminded me that I was watching a movie. In the end, I think someone else should have played the part of Sam Cahill.

Overall, I would give this 3 out of 5. Rent it when it comes out.

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