Brothers is a movie which has the pieces to succeed but those pieces do not end up coming together to form a satisfying whole. The story is certainly compelling. Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal are reliable performers who are certainly capable of making something good out of the material. The whole production is in the hands of well-respected director Jim Sheridan. The movie should work. But it really doesn't. You can see the potential here but Brothers falls well short of what it could have been.Portman and Gyllenhaal do fine work but the key performer in Brothers is Tobey Maguire. And therein is the first problem with the film. Maguire never really convinces in the role. He plays Marine captain Sam Cahill, who as we meet him is about to head out for another tour of duty in Afghanistan. He'll be leaving behind his wife, Grace, and their two young daughters. Also left behind is Sam's brother, Tommy, the black sheep of the family. Tommy just got out of prison, he's always drunk, he's a complete loser. Sam loves his brother but nobody else wants to deal with Tommy. His own father, a military man who worships Sam, despises him. Sam's wife is disgusted by Tommy and does not want him around at all, ever. With Sam gone, Tommy will be rudderless, left to fend for himself. And then things get a lot worse. In Afghanistan, Sam's helicopter crashes. Sam is dead.Only we see right away that Sam is not dead at all, he survived the crash and was taken prisoner by the Taliban. Which begs the question of why the U.S. military was in such a hurry to tell Sam's family that he was dead. Anyhow, while Sam's family tries to carry on and cope with his death the very much alive Sam does whatever he has to do to survive to try to get back to his family. The movie proceeds on these parallel tracks. What will happen if these tracks come together, if the "dead" Sam comes home? Certainly an interesting situation but there is the sense the movie fails to make the most of it. With Sam supposedly dead Tommy cleans up his act. He tries to help Grace around the house, grows close with her and her kids. It's a nice redemption story but uncomfortable for obvious reasons, especially as we keep cutting back to the trials and tribulations of Sam in Afghanistan. And, as you might expect when one is imprisoned by the Taliban, those are some pretty nasty trials.There is the sense the movie chickens out a bit, Grace and Tommy never go as far with their relationship as you might expect them to. It becomes more about Tommy's relationship with Grace's kids. Sam's kids. The kids come to love Uncle Tommy, accepting him as more or less a new father. So what happens if the old father comes back? Awkward. And not just awkward, potentially frightening because after what he's been through Sam is not the same man he once was. The loving husband and father, the heroic Marine...that Sam is gone. He's a shell of the man he once was. How this all plays out ultimately is disappointing. You buy into Maguire as the nice Sam at the film's beginning. The not-so-nice Sam we see later on Maguire struggles with. The actor doesn't fit the role. He's trying really hard. Too hard. Rage and fury just don't come naturally to Maguire it seems, he's overacting trying to pull it off and it's just not believable. Portman, playing Grace, and Gyllenhaal, playing Tommy, are good. They work well with one another and they play off of Maguire well. Their reactions to Maguire work, Maguire himself doesn't. The story has some failings in the end, seen most clearly at a family birthday party where everybody behaves in ways which are hard to believe. It eventually comes to a big dramatic, climactic (though overacted) head...and then the movie just kind of ends. There is very little in the way of resolution. For a movie which seemed to hold great promise in the end there is not much satisfaction.

Before leaving on his second tour in Afghanistan, Marine Captain Sam Cahill, a leader, an athlete, a good husband and father, welcomes his screw-up brother Tommy home from prison. He'd robbed a bank. In country, Sam's helicopter is shot down and all are presumed dead. Back home, while Sam wastes away as a prisoner in a remote encampment, Tommy tries to take care of the widow and her two children. While imprisoned, Sam experiences horrors unbearable, so when he's rescued and returns home, he's silent, detached, without affect, and he's convinced his wife and brother have slept together. Demons of war possess him; what will silence them?The trio Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Macguire and Natalie Portman have great chemistry together and good performances to all 3 actors, the supporting cast is good as well, This film is powerful, gripping,sad and touching. The film moves at a slow pace but keeps you watching throughout, the film is about what happens to soldiers when they go to war and to see them comeback damaged so badly that they are trying to battle there own demons and try to get back to a normal life.Overall a powerful and gripping film, a must see! Enjoy

Backtracking my IMDb profile is likely to lead you to reviews that are well structured and written with the critical analysis of a few days. This review however is something that I am typing nearly shivering , moments after watching this progressive direction and impeccable performance. Now this is an unconventional review , but bear with me as I will clearly explain why this is an under-rated gem you must watch right away if you didn't. First thing of the bat let me start by saying that this movie is not something that will be known for it's story. Being a re-make it has it's own flaws , in fact the almost perfect 10 score is nowhere placed for it's story as it is probably a generic war hero story of a scarred marine we have watched a million times. In fact this movie is more of Tom Hank's Cast away that shows more of Tom Hanks after coming back home.You might have noticed that my review started with me stating that I was moved by Impeccable performance and not performances. The cast is just superb , all the way from Jake to the small girls who portrayed the traumatised and puzzled kids. But one man who rose from the potentially overshadowing cast is Toby Maguire. Let me assure you , that this is probably his best performance of his career. Coming hot out of a comic book character , Toby has proved himself to be a character that can physically and mentally morph himself to produce magic on screen. The entire movie is his transformation , it is him breaking down , it is him trying to fix a part of himself that can never be undone. The last 30 minutes of this movie is a testament to my belief in Toby. And the last 10 minutes of the movie is probably where he will force you to nearly break down. I almost did , and that hasn't happened in a very long time.But what is performance without a boss behind the camera. Jim Sheridan might be the one known for his work in other titles like " In America " and " The Boxer " , but he has done a brilliant job in making this movie not just a drama but an atmospheric thriller. Without spoiling much , there is a scene towards the end that has an intense buildup , for 5 minutes that leads to a brilliant pay off. The camera has quick , nimble switches , some characters focused , some made to hide themselves , to symbolize hidden emotions. Every minute detail of this movie , all the way from substantial lighting to tonal shifts , Jim has done a beautiful job at creating a fractured and wounded universe , which in conjunction with the acting resonates to give a message , strong and sharp.Looking at the cast of the movie it's hard to believe how Nightcrawler's Jake , Black Swan's Portman , and the right stuff's Sam had nearly little but equally important roles to play where the sleeper hero Toby just manages to steal the show and knock it off the park. You might just think " I am high of my popcorn " but this my genuine expression. There hasn't been a movie this intriguing in a very long time that has pursued me to open my laptop right away and write this extra ling review. It's been 6 years since this movie has been out and this is my second viewing. So let this review be a reminder that the movie stood good then , now and will grow on you to be much better, as time passes by.

Sorry, but I'm not buying Tobey McGuire as an ex high school football star or a current Marine leader. He just doesn't look like the type. Having said that, he did a great job of portraying a man in shock.Even more so, I'm not buying a 90 pound Israeli American girl who looks like a teenager, as a late 20's New Mexico mom and ex-cheerleader. Having said that, Natalie Portman did a terrific job of showing patience and sensitivity to the travails of the men in her life.Jake G. has such an expressive and sensitive face, that you just have to love him. I did buy him in his role. Not because he's lovable, but because he looked like a guy with a dark side and redeeming qualities.I am quite sensitive to Liberal Hollywood portrayals of the military. But I don't think this was really an anti-military or anti-war movie. The dad came back from Vietnam messed up, but he was still a proud Marine. The son in the Marines was depicted as an honorable winner.There is a scene around a birthday table that built tension gradually. It was the best scene in a film that had several other scenes with tension-builders.This is a downer picture. But if you're the type who appreciates good dialog and acting, and doesn't need a fancy setting or lots of action, then you should appreciate this one for what it is. Nice use of mood music as well.