Their
father (Sam Shepard) takes every opportunity to remind Tommy just how
useless he is in comparison to his brother, and Tommy's wife Grace
(Natalie Portman) isn't his biggest fan either. But
when Sam is reported dead, Tommy gradually steps up to take care of his
brother's family and make a new man of himself. The
good news is, Sam isn't dead - he's just a captive of the Taliban. The
bad news is, both he and his family are going through so many changes
that when they ever get back together again, there is a pretty good chance they
might not fit. Maguire has the flashy
role here, going from his usual nice-guy to a gaunt, mentally-scarred
war veteran, but Gyllenhaal is equally impressive as he goes through his own
changes.
Portman
too is excellent as a grieving widow and mother who can't allow herself
to fall apart, still managing to toe the line between sexy and cute
without it ever overshadowing her acting skills. Brothers is a gruelling film at times, but director Jim Sheridan strikes just the
right balance to keep a glimmer of hope running throughout. It's
simplistic to say that as one brother falls the other rises, but there
is a balance in this film, and it's not until the hard-hitting final
scenes that this balance is finally broken.
DVD Special Features
There are some fairly solid featurettes on offer, one which looks as
the changes made between the overseas and American productions - and
quite an interesting piece on how the film's director deals with the
actors.
It's a great insight into a form of directing that you
just don't see that often anymore and well worth checking out if you
have the chance.
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 65%
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