28043837
"Brothers" proves a great cast plus a great director doesn’t necessarily equal a great movie. Revered Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot") draws (expected) dynamite performances from principals Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal, but his latest feels like a patchwork of recycled material, and not just because it’s a remake of the 2004 Danish film, "Br�dre."
With the war in Afghanistan as a central component, "Brothers" has timeliness on its side, but from the photography to the familial strife, it’s relentlessly nondescript. However well-played, scenes in which ex-con Tommy Cahill (Gyllenhaal) struggles with his father’s (Sam Shepard) favoritism toward older brother and U.S. Marine Sam (Maguire) could have been plucked from countless other films.
And when a quiet romance starts brewing between Tommy and Sam’s wife, Grace (Portman), after Sam is believed to have been killed in action, there are no surprises to be found, not even when Sam turns up alive, physically and emotionally scarred by overseas woes.
As a contemporary war-themed film, "Brothers," written by David Benioff, is only mildly affecting, dwarfed by recent triumphs like "The Hurt Locker," which strengthened a related tale with uncompromising truth and frightening depth. As a love-triangle drama, it’s hardly vital, despite some fervid emotional peaks and a juxtaposition of simultaneous scenarios that ably tests viewer allegiances.
As is typical of Sheridan’s films, the chief virtue here is the acting. Portman displays an excellent command of her dramatic range in a role that requires abrupt, profound responses. Maguire, ultimately frail and unhinged, makes his buoyant "Spider-Man" persona a distant memory and earned a Golden Globe nod for the effort. Though challenged the least, Gyllenhaal subtly intensifies a potentially lightweight character.
The best performance, however, comes from Bailee Madison, who’s phenomenal as Sam and Grace’s eldest daughter, a girl torn between father and father figure.
Yet, "Brothers" doesn’t share the notability of its actors’ work. Add it to your to-see list, but place it at the bottom.
Brothers
R
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
Now in theaters
District 9
R
Available Tuesday
Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by exciting new talent Neill Blomkamp, who earned a Golden Globe nod for Best Screenplay along with partner Terri Tatchell, "District 9" is a sci-fi film for the ages, transcendent in style, story and execution.
Turning the alien invasion premise on its ear, it introduces a race of extraterrestrial beasts as an ostracized minority in South Africa, laying the ground work for real-world parallels and a seamless visual blend of slum landscapes and stunning CG effects. Part fascinating mockumentary, part character study, part suspense thriller, part shoot ’em up action film, it’s unmissable.
