Strong and Moving!

An Exercise In Nonsense

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I completely disagree with the "negative reviews" but totally agree with the current rating. Although this movie was made 17 years' ago, I came across it on a Gay Movies site and I'm glad I did. If it weren't for the outstanding performance of Ben Whishaw(Tom), this movie would not have succeeded as it portrayed the sexual abuses experienced by young persons which continue to exist, sadly, today! The performance of the female lead was commendable, but it is Whishaw's performance that keeps you focused the entire time. Whishaw, with 8 wins, including Best Actor(MBT) from the 2001 Sochi(Russia) International Film Festival and Most Promising Newcomer (MBT) from the 2001 British Independent Film Award, and 15 nominations is worth watching in any movie he is in. He makes other actors better because of his performance. I have seen Whishaw in other movies and I'm glad I found him in this one. It's no wonder his career has taken off as evidenced by the filmography which includes current pre & post production. Children are so vulnerable to sexual predators and parents & children should watch this movie!! Congrats Ben & Jenna!!

Much as I tried to like this film because it deals with a serious subject, the fact is this is just drivel. The ramblings of an egotistical, bored, probably middle-class, twit striving to create art out of their impotent, insignificant, scrambled thoughts.Frankly it takes a serious, sensitive and important subject matter and turns it into something resembling a drug-fuelled, devil-worshipping orgy of incest, rape and paedophilia, with no artistic merit and no inkling of understanding the issues it so freakishly misrepresents.Bravo to the young actors for making a go of it, but the adults responsible for dishing up this repulsive and voyeuristic exhibition of perverted fantasies ought to be locked away for all eternity. They have created a film that fails to inform, educate or inspire debate. All of which leaves me wondering if this is meant to entertain in some way: if so, then it really is an exercise in bad taste.

I was lucky enough to catch My Brother Tom yesterday on the only showing this movie ever got in theaters in The Netherlands. With an audience of only 3, including myself, I wonder what is wrong with movie lovers these days. In general terms, the movie is about how a traumatic event affects the lives of two teenagers. Their view of the world is altered, their 'innocence' lost, as they discover that the outside world is a cruel and indifferent one, and that youthful peace and joy only remains within themselves - and between two people, if at all. 'They never listen' Tom says at one point, voicing an all too familiar (but true) sentiment among teenagers with or without scars.The acting is wonderful and refreshing, although I did think both actors appeared older than their roles which at times interfered with the story. But perhaps that can't be helped with a subject like this. To see that this is Jenna Harrison's first role, amazes me, she's a natural. Whishaw's acting as Tom left me wondering 'what is wrong with that guy' as if he had some kind of mental condition. But at all times I wondered about Tom, not Whishaw - they were one and the same, as far as I was concerned.The film felt almost like a fairytale at times, albeit a dark one. The bond between Tom and Jessica is painfully believable, and wonderfully disarming at the same time. It felt real, and that is a great achievement.

My Brother Tom is about a subject that is, sadly enough, quite well known in my country. As you may know, we had a case of child abuse that was so gruesome that it has probably been covered by the news all over the world. Since Dutroux has been put in jail for the rest of his life, people gradually seem to be able to cope with the subject again. I guess that the fact that this movie was actually shown on television is a good example of that.If you read the title of this movie, you might think that it is about a kid who's brother Tom is the victim of child abuse. That's not entirely true. In fact it is about two victims, a girl and a boy, who have found each other in their misery and try to deal with it together. Even though they aren't relatives, they call themselves twins. That's where the title comes from.My Brother Tom is probably not the best movie for parents of young children who are easily worried. I guess they might get frightened by the idea that this could happen to their own children. However, you could also see it as a very good educational movie. Anyway, I must say that I liked it. The acting and the story are very convincing and are brought to you in a very good way. It shows very well how devastating this abuse is and what it can lead to in the end. I reward it with a 7.5/10