BROTHERS
CAROLINE: I wasn’t that excited for the new movie “Brothers,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, mostly because it seemed a little heavy and melodramatic. Maybe I went in with lowered expectations… because I wound up really, really liking this movie.
RYAN: I went in with much higher expectations and sadly, they were based on my imagination of what this movie would be rather than what it’s actually about. But I still liked it.
CAROLINE: Well, I thought the trailer was pretty self-explanatory. It’s about a guy who comes back from war and has to readjust to his family and how close his wife and brother have become. What part was in your imagination?
RYAN: I was hoping for more fighting and tension between the brothers.
CAROLINE: There definitely is some, no?
RYAN: I know, but it’s not two brothers trying to kill each other for the whole movie, which is what I wanted.
CAROLINE: Maybe you saw a different trailer than the rest of us.
RYAN: Exactly. The performances are all good, but I have to say Tobey Maguire seemed very self-conscious to me. He would widen his eyes and try to look all intense and it was just so obvious that he was “acting.” I thought Natalie and Jake G. were much more natural.
CAROLINE: I was more disturbed by how much weight Tobey lost for this role! He looked so gross. I know he had to for the role, but he’s not exactly a looker to begin with.
RYAN: He took a page from Christian Bale’s “Machinist” experience.
CAROLINE: Natalie Portman was a revelation to me. I usually find her acting atrocious, but she was so good in this movie. She made me cry several times. This film really moved me.
RYAN: Totally. I’ve always liked her even though she’s usually a terrible actress. But she’s great in this, and even I welled up a couple times.
CAROLINE: This movie has some seriously intense moments. If you know someone suffering from PTSD, this will be a very hard movie to watch.
RYAN: There’s one scene at the dinner table that is just unbelievable. It’s the best scene in the movie. I thought it was so realistic. And how amazing was that little girl who plays the older sister? If she plays her cards right, she could be the next Abigail Breslin.
CAROLINE: I thought both kids were great. This movie as a whole really surprised me; it was excellent. I should have known it would be since Jim Sheridan directed it. I loved his movie “In America.”
RYAN: Me too. And it’s nice to see Jake Gyllenhaal in a role that doesn’t emphasize his hotness. Here he’s just a good actor, and he gets to show off his chops.
CAROLINE: Sam Shepard and Mare Winningham play the parents and they’re both great, even though it was weird seeing Mare in a grandma role.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: I’ve all but sworn off war movies, but this one didn’t bother me; especially since it stars three fine young actors whom I really like. It’s incredibly slow though, to the point where I actually closed my eyes. I still listened though and made my best effort not to doze.
CAROLINE: Really? I never got bored at all. I was riveted throughout.
RYAN: The exciting, intense scenes definitely perked me up and made the movie totally worthwhile.
CAROLINE: It’s just a very real look at the effects of war on a family. There are a few scenes in Afghanistan but it’s much more about coming home from war than an actual war movie, which is a relief. Some people will probably be put off by the topic, but for anyone who can stomach it, it’s really worth seeing. I thought it was great.
— RATING —
