Review: Brothers

2009

Directed by: Jim Sheridan

Written by: David Benioff, Susanne Bier (she wrote the Danish version)

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal

Brothers is about a man, Sam (Maguire), who goes off to war and is reported dead. His wife Grace (Portman) is devastated, and his brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal) steps in to help with the house and the kids. Sam ends up not being dead and returns, having gone through a harrowing experience and coming back changed. His kids don't like him anymore and he suspects his wife and brother are sleeping together.

The movie seeks to portray what war does to a person, and how our soldiers are not properly treated, psychologically. It probably does a good job of just how much it would suck to come home and know you can't relate to people in the same way. And what that does to a family. It's tragic, it's sad, but it's well done. Good acting. Oh, and it's based on a Danish movie.

Grade: B-