Film review: Brothers
CLAIRE HIBBIT
18 Mar, 2010
Dealing with themes such as love, family dynamics and post-war depression, Brothers paints a confronting picture.
The film - directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan with a young star cast including Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman - explores the relationships left behind rather than then the war itself.
Based originally on the 2004 Danish film Broder, Brothers tells the story of two very different siblings leading two very different lives. As the film opens, Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is about to depart for Afghanistan, leaving his young wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two daughters. Meanwhile, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is re-entering society after serving time in jail for armed robbery.
When Sam is taken hostage and then presumed dead, Tommy steps up and becomes more involved with his brother’s wife and young family - setting the scene for some tense relationships and a dramatic confrontation when Sam eventually does return home.
Maguire’s performance as a man changed by war is powerful, with the actor said to have prepared for the role by visiting California’s Camp Pendleton and New Mexico’s Army National guard. He portrays the post-war Sam as frail, withdrawn and paranoid. Portman gives an equally convincing performance as a wife struggling to deal with her husband’s hostile return.
Brothers illustrates the disturbing effects of post-war life for both a solider and the family trying to bring him back.
Source: www.independentweekly.com.au
18 Mar, 2010
Dealing with themes such as love, family dynamics and post-war depression, Brothers paints a confronting picture.
The film - directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan with a young star cast including Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman - explores the relationships left behind rather than then the war itself.
Based originally on the 2004 Danish film Broder, Brothers tells the story of two very different siblings leading two very different lives. As the film opens, Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is about to depart for Afghanistan, leaving his young wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two daughters. Meanwhile, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is re-entering society after serving time in jail for armed robbery.
When Sam is taken hostage and then presumed dead, Tommy steps up and becomes more involved with his brother’s wife and young family - setting the scene for some tense relationships and a dramatic confrontation when Sam eventually does return home.
Maguire’s performance as a man changed by war is powerful, with the actor said to have prepared for the role by visiting California’s Camp Pendleton and New Mexico’s Army National guard. He portrays the post-war Sam as frail, withdrawn and paranoid. Portman gives an equally convincing performance as a wife struggling to deal with her husband’s hostile return.
Brothers illustrates the disturbing effects of post-war life for both a solider and the family trying to bring him back.
Source: www.independentweekly.com.au