This review contains no spoilers. All comments made in this article are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions of anyone involved in the movie.
In Brothers, Natalie Portman plays a young wife and mother whose life is turned upside down when she’s notified by the U.S. government that her husband (played by Tobey Maguire) has been killed in action over seas. Overwhelmed and distraught with both the loss and the pressure of taking care of her young daughters alone, she receives help in the surprising form of her flaky brother in-law (Jake Gyllenhall). Really only having each other too truly lean on the two develop a close comfortable friendship that develops into strong romantic feelings for both. Things come crashing down around them however when Tobey Maguire’s believed dead soldier turns out to not actually be dead, coming back into their lives a changed man traumatized by his experience in the war.
Looking at the cast of this movie is enough for most to at least pay attention. Natalie Portman, in my opinion of course, is one of the greatest young actresses we have working in Hollywood today. With this role she seems primed for her second Oscar nomination; her first nomination was as a supporting actress in the controversial movie Closer. It’s wonderful to see the talented actress in the kind of moral dilemma roles that first made us take notice of her as Matilda in Leon the Professional or her brief but powerful role as the suicidal step-daughter to Al Pacino in Heat.
The most surprising turn in this movie has to be Tobey Maguire’s haunted, post traumatic turn as the presumed dead husband. With this film Tobey Maguire sets out to reassure us that he’s more then just the red spandex wearing superhero that he’s become most famous for and show us glimpses of the inner dramatic actor who first really caught our attention in The Cider House Rules.
This also marks the last Jake Gylenhall movie before the Disney pushed Prince of Persia series begins (lets face it if the movie makes any money were looking at least at two more movies). This actor has a lot of range (see Bubble Boy then work your way to Brokeback Mountain) so it’s always great to see him on the screen, whatever the role.
One thing Brothers looks at that I find fascinating is the severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder explored through the Army Captain character portrayed by Tobey Maguire. Though reports run rampant of the effect war can have on a solider (and I know this isn’t its first time on film), I think it’s good that the film explores not just the disorders affects on the soldier, but also on the soldier’s family.
With the buzz surrounding Brothers I think we will see at least one, if not all three, of our leads spending a lot of time on the red carpet come awards season and with this cast I have to say I’m looking forward to it.
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Monday, December 7, 2009
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