Bonus Content: Issue 17

Brothers
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire
Dir: Jim Sheridan
Screenplay: David Benioff
Based on the Danish film “Brødre”
Released: On DVD now

Plot:
US Marine Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire) has a good life; a beautiful wife in Grace (Portman) and 2 young daughters, Isabelle and Maggie. Sam’s brother, Tommy (Gyllenhaal), is freed from jail after serving his sentence for robbery, just in time to bid farewell to Sam who is about to embark on his second tour in Afghanistan. 

Shortly after beginning his duties in the Middle East, Sam’s Black Hawk helicopter is shot down and the worst is presumed. Having been informed of his death, Sam’s family try to come to terms with life without him – in reality he has been taken prisoner by enemy forces. Despite being seen as a disappointment by his father, Tommy steps up to comfort Grace and his two nieces. As months go by, Tommy’s relationship with Grace, Isabelle and Maggie strengthens whilst Sam is tortured and forced to do unspeakable acts. 

Sam is eventually rescued and returned home to his shocked family; but the Sam that arrives back in America isn’t the same Sam that left all those months ago. The physical scars are nothing compared to the mental ones. Distant and troubled, Sam’s relationship with his daughters takes a turn for the worse and his paranoia has him believing that Tommy and Grace are sleeping together. The life he once had is now a nightmare – a nightmare that Sam may never wake from.

Review:

Hollywood remakes are always risky, especially when the original is so powerful. Brødre remains the superior version but Sheridan’s take on it is still affecting, emotional and thought-provoking. How would you feel if you had spent months grieving for a loved one only to be informed that, actually, they are alive and returning home?

The performances from all involved are nothing short of outstanding. Gyllenhaal is perfect at conveying all manner of emotions without ever needing to descend into the Oscar-friendly technique of screaming and shouting whilst Portman plays the grieving widow down to a ‘T’. But Maguire has the stand out performance, for me. I had never been a fan of Tobey before but after seeing him playing a war-affected, distant, volatile and tortured soldier, I am beginning to see him in a new light. The supporting cast, including an excellent turn from Sam Shepard, all work perfectly, too. Bailie Madison and Taylor Geare, who play daughters Isabelle and Maggie, are two to look out for with Madison in particular providing some heart-wrenching moments.

Brothers has been slightly negatively affected by the Hollywood touch in the sense that it has lost some of its grittiness. The sections focusing on Sam’s time in Afghanistan aren’t as dramatic as they could have been, until the final scenes, at least. The relationship between brother and sister-in-law has also taken a back seat compared to Brødre as Sheridan focuses more on the entire family, although Tommy and Grace’s relationship is still present and still pivotal in tipping Sam over the edge.

Overall, Brothers is a brilliantly scripted and brilliantly acted drama with a sense of authenticity and realness, most likely due to the subject material. If you have seen the original, you won’t be disappointed by the remake. If you have seen this version, you should check out the original and gain something extra.

Score: 4/5