Brothers
Here’s a war-time drama fueled by three powerhouse performances and a sense of purpose that comes from the heart rather than any political provocation. In a way, it’s a brother to Kimberly Pierce’s 2008 drama “Stop-Loss,” which also looked at modern soldiers who have trouble reconciling what they saw in combat with what they see at home.
Tobey Maguire stars as Sam Cahill, a marine Captain just about to leave for another tour of duty in Afghanistan when his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from prison. Their father (Sam Shepherd) is a Vietnam vet who was a changed man when he came back, and his sons took the brunt of the punishment for that.
One day, well, if you’ve seen the previews you know that Sam’s chopper crashes on a mission, which sends his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two girls reeling and the family in tatters. But time heals the pain, and Tommy finds himself a changed man in the process, being there for the girls since Sam can’t be.
Of course, if you’ve seen the previews you know that Sam was actually just MIA. He eventually finds his way home, although it’s obvious to all that he’s a changed man. The tension that boils over carries the rest of the film.
Working from a smart and compassionate script by David Benioff (itself based on a Danish film), director Jim Sheridan (“My Left Foot,” “In America”) doesn’t overplay the drama, instead letting the actors bring out the humanity of these characters naturally, even in a climax that could’ve very easily been over-the-top melodrama. It helps that Maguire, Gyllenhaal, and Portman bring their A-games to this potent and moving story. They alone make “Brothers” essential viewing for anyone interested in just-plain good cinematic drama.
