Ravages of war hit the home front
THE film Brothers starring Jewish actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman is a drama about a family torn apart by the effects of war.
FILM REVIEW: BROTHERS
REVIEWED BY ADAM KAMIEN
MOVIES about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars seem to be in vogue, with a slew of films tackling the sensitive subject matter over the past 18 months.
Movies such as Green Zone, The Messenger, The Men Who Stare At Goats and The Hurt Locker — the big winner at this year’s Oscars — all look at America’s war on terror, with ¬≠ranging results.
At the pointy end of the scale is Brothers, directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In The Name Of The Father) and starring Jewish actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman.
A near shot-for-shot remake of the Danish film Br√∏dre, Brothers is a deeply affecting drama about a family torn apart by the effects of war.
Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is a career army man preparing for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Days before he is due to leave, his brother Tommy (Gyllenhall) is released from prison after serving a three-year sentence for robbery.
Sam’s wife Grace (Portman) is wary of Tommy and his alcoholic father Hank (Sam Shepard) treats him with complete disdain, constantly comparing him to his war-hero brother.
Days after arriving in Afghanistan, Sam’s helicopter is attacked and he is captured by militants, although Grace is told he has been killed in action.
Over time, the family begins to heal. Tommy forges a strong bond with Grace and Sam’s two daughters Isabelle (Bailee Madison) and Maggie (Taylor Geare), when out of the blue comes news that Sam has been rescued and is on his way home.
However, Sam is a different person, crippled by the horrors of his experience in captivity. He becomes increasingly paranoid and accuses Tommy and Grace of having an affair in his absence.
What follows is a gut-wrenching build-up to an explosive and gripping crescendo.
The film overcomes some clunky exposition in the early stages and an irritating score to deliver a diverting ride that examines the devastation of war on the battlefield and the home front.
Sheridan elicits wonderful performances, not only from his cast of A-listers, but also the lesser lights. The young actors who play the Cahill daughters are superlative and a cameo from Carey Mulligan hints at the heights she scaled in An Education.
Gyllenhall gives the performance of his career as a troubled man, quietly determined to redeem himself, while Maguire channels a rage-filled Robert De Niro and is totally believable as a stricken man descending into madness.
Portman too is excellent, stripped back and engaging as a mother trying to survive for the sake of her children.
While not quite in the class of The Deer Hunter or Apocalypse Now, there are moments in Brothers that are equally as powerful.
Brothers is currently screening in cinemas.
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