No Brotherly Love Here

“Brothers” is a film that takes its audience from the mind-numbing solitude of life in a prisoner-of-war camp to the warm embrace of a loving home, coupled with the ravages post-traumatic stress disorder. We see a man leaving home to fight overseas as a normal human being and coming back as someone different in a distinctly chilling respect, both physically and mentally.

It tells the fascinating story of a Marine named Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire, “Spider-Man”), who comes home from a devastating fight for survival overseas, only to face more angst from his wife, Grace (Natalie Portman, “V for Vendetta”), who is apparently having an affair with his brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal, “Jarhead”). After Sam was presumed dead, Tommy becomes a big part of their family by taking care of Grace and her two daughters.

Some tremendous performances take place through this film. Gyllennhaal does a fantastic job of playing the troubled bad boy with a scruffy beard and a short fuse – more or less the black sheep of the family. His portrayal was so good that you would think he is the highlight of the movie.

Portman is full of charm as the grieving widow, showing that her talent is as wonderful as her personality.

With that said, Maguire steals the show and overshadows the entire cast. With his ability to play a man with a scarred soul – note the tremendous weight loss and the fear of death in his eyes – he is just not the person he used to be.

War changes a man for the worse, and for Sam, the change was so colossal that it caused his own daughters to hate him because of the man he became after coming home.

Come Oscar time, Maguire should be considered for a nomination for the way he performed in this complex role. The look in his eyes was spine-chilling. You knew he was like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any minute, and when that moment came, it was a magical example of his ability to capture the hearts of everyone in the audience – his character was that believable. Maguire went all out, truly utilizing all his ability as a thespian. It was a job well done, and one that will be remembered for a long time.

Jim Sheridan (“Get Rich or Die Tryin’”) does a great job of character development with both Sam and Tommy as their roles get switched. At the beginning of the film, Sam is a kindhearted human being, while Tommy is a fiery ex-convict who is essentially the exact opposite of his brother.

However, the tides change when Sam comes back from the war. He is now the person who is broken and mentally scarred, while Tommy is caring one. It is fascinating to see how these characters intertwine with one another, for better and for worse.

“Brothers” is one of the best films of 2009. There are moments that will make you laugh, cry and hold the edges of your seat as tight as you can for the powerful drama. With that said, you can be sure that this film will have a buzz surrounding it until Oscar time.