Brothers is a Jim Sheridan film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman. Sheridan’s film career highlights include: My Left Foot and In The Name of the Father, in which he received Oscar nominations for writing and directing. Two films in which prolific Oscar-winning actor, Daniel Day-Lewis stars. However, Brothers is not a Day-Lewis Oscar vehicle and the screenplay is adapted by acclaimed screenwriter David Benioff.
Brothers was inspired by Brødre, a 2004 film by award-winning Danish writer-director, Susanne Bier. The story is about two brothers, Sam (Maguire) is serving his country in Afghanistan and Tommy (Gyllenhaal) is serving parole after a prison sentence. When Sam is left for dead after a helicopter crash, Tommy naturally steps in to comfort Sam’s wife, Grace (Portman) and her two girls in their mourning. However, when Sam returns to suburbia, the ravages of war and his jealousy over Uncle Tommy’s new place in the family seem set to rip the family apart.
Brothers makes a compelling drama with some intense scenes involving the classic lover’s triangle. The film is reminiscent of In The Valley of Elah in the spirit of the performances and the re-integration of marines into white picket fence society. It’s a hard-hitting thriller, which creates tension in the gray area surrounding a family member’s passing and the responsibility of those around them. Brothers is an adult film, which cleverly juxtaposes Gyllenhaal and Maguire, who were both competing for the role of Spider-Man at one stage, giving them a natural competitiveness and a familiarity, which feeds into a sense of history and family.
The performances are the main reason to see Brothers. The lead trio have really matured over the years and Brothers represents a new generation of adult actors, who are all refining their talents and crossing over from portraying 20-somethings to 30-somethings. The intensity behind the drama, the plot dynamic and the first-rate performances carry Brothers, despite the loose narrative. It’s the interactions between the lead trio of Gyllenhaal, Maguire and Portman that bait the audience and propel the film. Sheridan has directed Daniel Day-Lewis to several Oscar nominations (and wins) and he enables the actors to bring their ‘A” game here.
Brothers may not be as well-stitched as Susanne Bier’s original, but it certainly holds up as a thrilling and engaging piece of entertainment. It’s the sort of film that sits on the line, appealing to commercial audiences with its young name cast, while reaching over into the art house sphere with terrific performances and dark adult themes. Brothers will appeal to audiences that enjoyed the emotional intensity in The Kite Runner, the dramatic tension in Atonement and the compelling and topical nature of In The Valley of Elah. It’s a heavy drama that will most likely sap your energy, so be prepared for turmoil in the league of 21 Grams and Reservation Road.
The bottom line: Intense.
ScreenPlay with Spling
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za
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