Brothers
Brothers
R | 02 December 2009 (USA)
Brothers Trailers

When his helicopter goes down during his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan, Marine Sam Cahill is presumed dead. Back home, brother Tommy steps in to look over Sam’s wife, Grace, and two children. Sam’s surprise homecoming triggers domestic mayhem.

Reviews
Jeanskynebu

the audience applauded

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Sexyloutak

Absolutely the worst movie.

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Dotbankey

A lot of fun.

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Robert Joyner

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Mike_Devine

2009's wartime family drama 'Brothers' was almost manufactured to be an Oscar contender. From its A-list cast to the raw, gritty themes it explores, the Jim Sheridan-directed film had all the elements that could earn it lots of accolades. Except, perhaps, an original, compelling story.What we have here is a film that focuses on the strengths of its actors rather than pulling together a cohesive final product. We see Tobey Maguire's Marine Captain Sam Cahill in and out of combat, putting a strain on his wife, Grace (Natalie Portman) and daughters. We see Sam's troubled brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) deal with alcoholism and unemployment. We see the tension that ensues when Sam returns home from Afghanistan after being feared dead - and the relationship between his wife and brother seems to have grown in his absence.Again, it's really all about the acting in 'Brothers.' Maguire does an admirable job of showing what the horrors of war can do to people, and his performance shines a light on the problem that PTSD is for many. Gyllenhaal plays a convincing deadbeat who is irresponsible and down on his luck. And Portman gives what is perhaps the best performance of her career up to that point. But all of these seem to be done in silos, and despite the way the script is written - where all three characters are intertwined - there is a total lack of chemistry.Sure, there are plenty of scenes that are powerful or really hit home. But they all happen in silos. They don't weave together seamlessly like they should. Yes, the climax is a gripping few minutes. But one scene a movie does not make.'Brothers' is hard-hitting, dark and messy. It's a tour de force of acting. But overall, it's a mediocre movie at best.

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grantss

OK, but not great. Most of the movie is fairly slow moving, overly simplistic, and seems to go nowhere. However, it redeems itself with its ending: very moving and profound.Plot is OK, but direction is fairly unimaginative. Performances are OK on the whole. Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal do well and the little girls shine. However, Tobey Maguire seems miscast - not for the emotional depth he brings (that was spot-on) but as a Marine captain. He just didn't seem right for that role.I was expecting more from this, so a disappointing movie, for me.

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juneebuggy

This was incredibly well acted and a powerful drama. The movie itself isn't perfect but the performances overshadow a weak screenplay and strange lack of depth (considering the subject matter)It was the character development that genuinely got me invested here along with a stand out turn from Tobey Maguire. Wow. Jake Gyllenhaal also does a good job and while I like Natalie Portman I felt that her character was kind of flat and aloof considering the emotions her she should have been going through. I actually got more from her oldest daughter who brought me to tears.Outstanding sub cast as well in Sam Shepard and Mare Winningham who round out the layers to this dysfunctional family.Tobey Maguire plays Sam Cahill, a marine who is believed to be killed while serving a second tour in Afghanistan. Jake Gyllenhaal is his deadbeat younger brother Tommy who has just been released from prison and becomes an unexpected source of support for Sam's grieving wife Grace.The movie alternates between Grace and Tommy back in the States and Sam who has been captured and is experiencing starvation and unbearable tortures in Afghanistan by the Taliban. He eventually returns home a very changed man, suffering PTSD and convinced his wife and brother have slept together. The confrontation to this matter is powerful stuff, wasn't sure how it was going to play out. Worth watching just for the incredible performance from Toby Maguire. 9/8/15

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Dominic LeRose

Films like "Brothers" that deal more with the trauma faced by soldiers after their battles are usually more powerful than those that center around the actual war. Director Jim Sheridan does a marvelous job bringing three-dimensional characters to life in a story that is impossible to turn away from. Toby Maguire gives one of the best performances of all time as Sam Cahill, a solider who gets sent to Afghanistan and goes missing. The devastating news is heard by his lovely wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and his underachieving brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal). Tommy steps up and becomes a father figure to his nieces and becomes close with with Grace. When Sam returns home, everyone is extremely happy to see him. The hardest part of "Brothers" are the scenes involving Sam's PDS. Maguire's acting is amazing and powerful. Whenever he steps on the screen he dominates the shot with his rich facial expressions and audacious actions. His Oscar snub is the most unfortunate to date in my mind. There's a lot of interesting connections between all the members of the Cahill family that give a great dramatic effect. The story mainly focuses on the relation between Sam and Tommy due to them both facing similar situations. They each fight their own wars in life. Gyllenhaal and Maguire capture the emotional changes in their characters very well. The script by David Benioff is one of the most powerful stories imaginable. It focuses more on how overwhelming experiences destroy lives than on the actual experiences themselves. The dialogue shared between the characters is either very realistic or uncomfortable to handle due to the intensity it will lead to. "Brothers" is more of a family struggles film than a war film. One thing Jim Sheridan does meticulously is make the most high-powered scenes inside Sam's house. We get a perfect balance of seeing the Cahill family before and after Sam comes homes to create complex characterization and almost never ending conflict. Films like "Brothers" are not typical conflict resolution films. This one is a tragic examination of one of American societies most devastating struggles. You couldn't ask for more talented people to make this gripping film.

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