On the surface, "Brothers," the new film from director Jim Sheridan, is a war movie. Tobey Maguire plays Capt. Sam Cahill, a dedicated Marine about to ship out for his fourth tour in Afghanistan. Sam is celebrated by his town — and specifically his father Hank (Sam Shepard), an ex−military man — as a hero fulfilling the duty of protecting his country.
But as the title (and any trailer for the movie) implies, the film is about more than just war. It is also about family — and how one affects the other in ways most people couldn't imagine. Based on the Danish film "Brødre" (2004), directed by Susanne Bier, "Brothers" looks at what the loss of a loved one can do to a family, how its members cope and how the traumatic repercussions of war are felt by those both personally and tangentially involved.
Sam is married to his high school sweetheart, Grace (Natalie Portman), with whom he has two young daughters, Isabelle and Maggie (Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare). Sam's brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), has recently been released from prison, and he fills in for Sam by taking care of the girls while he is gone.
"Gone" takes on a new meaning when Sam's helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead. But as anyone who has seen a preview for the film knows, Sam did not actually die. Drama arises when he comes home to a family that has been forced to move on and a wife and brother who have grown closer — and who he suspects have been sleeping together.
The film benefits profoundly from the performances by its three leads. Maguire never seemed to bring much gravitas to his portrayal of the titular hero in the "Spiderman" films, but in "Brothers" he conveys the plight of a prisoner of war suffering from Post−Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when he returns home. His sunken eyes and billowing rage and annoyance are completely understandable.
Portman delivers as the emotionally devastated wife. Her raw portrayal is both dramatic and believable. Gyllenhaal does not shine quite as brightly as his co−stars, but Tommy's loving interactions with his nieces and his desire to be there for Grace come off as genuine.
The film succeeds when it is focused on the family at home. Nothing particularly eventful happens, but the ways in which each person grieves and adapts are insightful. Unfortunately, the first half of the film is intercut with scenes of Sam and a fellow Marine being imprisoned and tortured in Afghanistan. The events are crucial, as they give the audience a view of the horror and atrocity that Sam has been through, which shape his attitude upon return. But they also slow down the pace of the film.
The second half of the film does a better job of providing a singular storyline. Sam is a changed man when he returns. He is jumpy, distant, apprehensive, accusatory and horrified by what he had to live through. His family is happy to have him back, but the sentiment quickly diminishes as his PTSD begins to show. Grace tries to understand by asking him about his experiences, but since it is no secret to the viewer, there is no plot−driven motive for him to admit the answer.
The intense emotions and drama of the film build to an exciting, if heavy−handed, climax. The conflicts eventually reach a calm conclusion, but the culminating scene would have worked just as well with a few less blunt exclamations of "You're my brother!" between Sam and Tommy.
The film is intense, but without a lot of action. A dinner scene in the second act is among the best, with its slow build−up and quick explosion. "Brothers" is driven by strong performances — not only by its leads, but also by Madison and Geare as the young daughters — which make the film a well−examined look at the dynamics of a military family during wartime.
For the most part, "Brothers" avoids any overt commentary on the war. In one scene, however, Sam's eldest daughter replies that the bad guys are "the ones with the beards," effectively showing how ingrained it has become that war is a matter of "us vs. them." In "Brothers," the war is mainly utilized as a lens through which to view the true workings of a family that, like any, has its share of problems.
Its timeliness and intimacy, bolstered by solid acting, make "Brothers" a gripping emotional thriller, even if it falls short of its vision in the end.
