Brothers (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Brothers is an excellent drama film with a great cast. The film concerns two brothers, one a Marine, and another a convict who just got out of prison for a crime. Marine Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is sent back into active duty, and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is forced… More
  Brothers is an excellent drama film with a great cast. The film concerns two brothers, one a Marine, and another a convict who just got out of prison for a crime. Marine Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is sent back into active duty, and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is forced to get his act together. Upon his brothers helicopter crash, everyone thinks he's dead. Tommy is forced to take care of Sam's wife and kids. Brothers is a wonderful film with a great story. The acting displayed by its cast is absolutely terrific, and there are some memorable performances here, Toby Maguire delivers the best performance of his career and Natalie Portman continues her streak in landing really good roles. I really think she matured greatly as an actress over the years, and if you see where she's started, and where she's at now, well you get the idea. I think she's come a long way since her role as Padmee Amidala in the Star Wars prequels, and she's phenomenal films after the trilogy. Brothers is an engaging film with a powerful story and a great cast. I thought that the film had some great moments, and I loved how Maguire's character is conflicted with coming back to civilized life and dealing with the situation with his brother. Gyllenhaal and Maguire have great chemistry. Brothers is a very good film that's worth checking out. A riveting drama film and one that has a truly good story.

• Carlos M

  
  A compelling drama that examines the emotional impact of war on the family of a soldier who is presumed dead in Afghanistan. The intense performances, especially by a superb Tobey Maguire, and the honest dialogue prevent it from slipping into easy melodrama.

• Brad W

  
  Why all the negativity, I thought it was a great film. Sam (Tobey Maguire) is a marine with a brother named Tommy (Jake Gyllenhal) who has done much jail time, but besides their fathers anger towards Tommy, Sam has always cared for him. Tommys wife Grace (Natalie Portman) never… More
  Why all the negativity, I thought it was a great film. Sam (Tobey Maguire) is a marine with a brother named Tommy (Jake Gyllenhal) who has done much jail time, but besides their fathers anger towards Tommy, Sam has always cared for him. Tommys wife Grace (Natalie Portman) never cared much for Tommy however. But when Sams is said to be dead, Tommy grows closer to Grace and Sams kids so that he can help and feel wanted. But when Sam is found after being held prisoner for months, his insanity and jealousy of Tommy and Graces new friendship might destroy everyones lives. Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhal, and Natalie Portman play very well done and dramatic roles, I thought they were Oscar worthy. The plot was interesting, dealt with serious issues, and was a great screenplay. The music was great too, but I found it a bit weird how the music keeps shifting in the film. I don't care about the reviews on this one, it was a great film.

• Cassie H

  
  A very powerful movie about a war hero, Sam Cahill (Maguire) who goes to war and memories of it haunt him causing him to go towards insanity. A heart wrenching movie that is intense and equally sad. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role of Maguire's brother wonderfully &… More
  A very powerful movie about a war hero, Sam Cahill (Maguire) who goes to war and memories of it haunt him causing him to go towards insanity. A heart wrenching movie that is intense and equally sad. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role of Maguire's brother wonderfully & Portman's portrayal of Maguire's wife is great as well.

• J P

  
  Amazing movie. It was intense and had a great storyline that kept my interest. Maguire played the traumatized war hero so well. It was a great movie. I loved it.

• Albert K

  
  An incredibly well-acted movie. Toby Maguire, Natalie Portman, and Jake Gyllenhaal were all terrific. They took a cheesy, weak screenplay and made it believable and interesting. However, the movie suffers from overly simplistic pacing, cliche plot, and a lack of depth in the plot.… More
  An incredibly well-acted movie. Toby Maguire, Natalie Portman, and Jake Gyllenhaal were all terrific. They took a cheesy, weak screenplay and made it believable and interesting. However, the movie suffers from overly simplistic pacing, cliche plot, and a lack of depth in the plot. Once again, great acting. It is good to note that though this movie has many many flaws, there is character development that genuinely gets us invested.

• Kevin k

  
  Grade: B (85%) Brothers, based on Susanne Bier's film "Brothers", is about a family of marines and criminals. Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire in a gut wrenching performance) is about to be sent out to Afghanistan leaving his wife Grace (Natalie Portman in one of… More
  Grade: B (85%) Brothers, based on Susanne Bier's film "Brothers", is about a family of marines and criminals. Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire in a gut wrenching performance) is about to be sent out to Afghanistan leaving his wife Grace (Natalie Portman in one of the best performances of her career) and his two young daughters Isabelle and Maggie. But when he is presumed dead his brother Tommy (an outstanding Jake Gyllenhaal), you have come out of prison, begins to care for the family. The daughters seems to love Uncle Tommy around and so does Grace after confessing that she didn't like him in High School because he got into fights and always drunk. But they become very close and when Grace receives a phone call saying that they found her husband, their lives turn into a realm of paranoia and questionable loyalty. Sam believes that the friendly companionship between Grace and Tommy has been sexual and begins to question each person throughout the movie. But Sam has really changed after coming back from the war. His love for his family has changed from the beginning of the film with Isabelle acting angrily with her father. At Maggie's birthday party she would make screeching noises that forces Sam to snap and pop the balloon in front of everyone. Sam's appearance has changed. The scars, that were not there in the beginning of the film, give the impression that Sam has become darker in personality. The film is very well directed and has a good pace for a 100 minute movie. The climax of the film had me on the edge of my seat praying that all would be well. The movie also talks about soldiers coming home after viewing horrific actions that could turn a known leader into a murderer in a blink of an eye. Sam's father, who is also a marine, went through the same process after Vietnam but shows Sam having a harder time to get recover from his near death experience. Brother's is a melodramatic ride that grips the viewers with hatred, anger, and love in 1 hour and 40 minute run time. The three lead actors give great performances and even got Tobey Maguire a Golden Globe Nomination for Actor in Leading Role. Brother's is a solid movie and should be watched.

• Dan S

  
  A well-made, intense depiction of a family torn apart by war and the affects it has on not only the mental state of a once strong-minded soldier (Tobey Maguire), but his family at home, as well as the brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is tending to his wife (Natalie Portman) and daughters… More
  A well-made, intense depiction of a family torn apart by war and the affects it has on not only the mental state of a once strong-minded soldier (Tobey Maguire), but his family at home, as well as the brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is tending to his wife (Natalie Portman) and daughters after he goes missing in Afghanistan. What could have become a full-blown, over-the-top melodrama is actually paced to perfection by a master of the drama genre. While one of director Jim Sheridan's flaws is that he cuts away too soon at times when his actors are about to show incredible emotion, what he put together with this piece is undoubtedly a success. Tobey Maguire gives his most nuanced performances yet, one that ends up being completely shattering. Natalie Portman once again demonstrates why she is an A-list actress, as she skillfully captures the troubled nature of her character and what she must live with. There are some problems with this piece, but the explosive finale, which I originally anticipated might handicap the film, ends up making it jarring and unforgettable. It is not Sheridan's most accomplished work ("In the Name of the Father" is a masterpiece, and "My Left Foot" is very, very good), but this is still a quite well done film.

• Curtis L

  
  Incredible. The acting from everyone in this film was some of the best I've seen in a long time. They really helped nail home the subject matter and it really affected me. The little girls in this movie are rediculously good actresses also.

• Tim S

  
  When the best performances come from Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare (the first-time actresses that play the young daughters) in a cast that includes Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, and Sam Shepard, I think you know that you are in for one of the most uneven films of… More
  When the best performances come from Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare (the first-time actresses that play the young daughters) in a cast that includes Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, and Sam Shepard, I think you know that you are in for one of the most uneven films of all time. I expect more from Jim Sheridan, but I never expected him to do 50 Cent's bio-film either. There seems like there are entire chunks of the movie taken out and whatever useable bits were thrown together to make this film. A real shame because it had a lot of promise.

• Emile T

  
  A movie that sounded fake on every aspect, except Natalie Portman's character. Plus, thanks to the trailer, I knew every freaking detail of the story.

• Jose Z

  
  Brothers is a movie that tells the story of ayoung man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan. It is a very intense drama full of conflicts. The plot is very well developed and the story is very interesting because it reflects a… More
  Brothers is a movie that tells the story of ayoung man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan. It is a very intense drama full of conflicts. The plot is very well developed and the story is very interesting because it reflects a problem that could happen in real life to real people. The rhythm is a little slow and sometimes you feel that the movie isn't progressing specially at the moments of war. The cast is excellent, Tobey Maguire gives us a little overacted but also very credible performance first as a loving husband and father ready to go to war and then as a mentally disturbed soldier. Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of Tobey's brother is also very good changing from a irresponsible person to the man of the house taking care of his brother's wife ands children, Natalie Portman is a great actress, his performance is so convincing you can really feel her sorrow and a special mention to the two girls that performed as Maguire and Portman girls the two of them give a believable performance specially the bigger one. In conclusion, Brothers is a recommendable option, just one thing, go watch this movie relax because the tension it has will trap you.

• Dean M

  
  Irish helmer Jim Sheridan laments the fact that European films have a better chance of achieving poetic resonance than their Hollywood counterparts. He now works mainly in America, and his latest offering, a taut reworking of the 2004 Danish movie <I>Brothers</I>, is a… More
  Irish helmer Jim Sheridan laments the fact that European films have a better chance of achieving poetic resonance than their Hollywood counterparts. He now works mainly in America, and his latest offering, a taut reworking of the 2004 Danish movie <I>Brothers</I>, is a case in point. In truth, that cast performs admirably, Sheridan's gift with actors squeezing terrific performances from Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. The last plays Tommy, the prodigal son, a petty crook and, in the eyes of his Vietnam vet father (an excellent Sam Shepard), a bit of a wanker. Maguire's return may as well be met by other characters campily exclaiming, "We thought you were dead!" (His response: "I was!"), such is the melodrama left exposed in <i>My Left Foot</i> director Sheridan's tepid American-based facsimile.

• Bobby H

  
  "Brothers", is based around a successful Marine and Family man who is shipped out to Afgahanistan and comes back a changed mind. During his depature, however, he is first thought to dead - while his younger brother back at home assumes the unlikely role as caretaker. When he… More
  "Brothers", is based around a successful Marine and Family man who is shipped out to Afgahanistan and comes back a changed mind. During his depature, however, he is first thought to dead - while his younger brother back at home assumes the unlikely role as caretaker. When he returns with damages from the war, he is forced to try to leave what had happend on the battlefields behind and "Live again, after he has seen the end of war." It's easier said than done for The Marine in this film and he pays a hefty toll for the service he gave. It's a fair basic film overall, the plot is a good thought but not quite as detailed as it could be, and while the film itself was pretty good I was no fan of the ending in which felt as if it ended "mid-movie." The biggest problem with the film, as good as it was, was it almost had no where to go and in basics took baby steps towards progression and stopped. Still, the movie is powerful, heart wrenching, and with actors like Tobey Magquire, Jake Gyllenhalal, and Natalie Portman it was saved from being total disaster. I enjoyed the film and what it was trying to tell. It's not quite a five star film, but, it's a good average flick.

• Lewis C

  
  "You know what I *did* to get back to you? You know what I did?" Brothers is thoughtful, without being preachy. This isn't really one of my favorite genres, because movies about the psychological toll of war can often be heavy-handed. Brothers keeps the message… More
  "You know what I *did* to get back to you? You know what I did?" Brothers is thoughtful, without being preachy. This isn't really one of my favorite genres, because movies about the psychological toll of war can often be heavy-handed. Brothers keeps the message centered on war families and the very real problems that they can (and do) face without making moral judgments. That's one of the main things I liked about this film. The other thing that I enjoyed enough to mention was the performances. I haven't been this impressed with Natalie Portman since The Professional, and I've NEVER been this impressed with Jake Gyllenhal. Tobey Maguire was great as well, and he shares much of the acting burden with Portman. He had to go deep and dark in this one, and he did it well. My respect for all three of them as actors has increased, thanks to their work here. On the not so sunny side, the movie didn't handle the relationship between the two siblings nearly as well as it could have. It's called Brothers, but in actuality, the film focuses on the two brothers quite separately. The story always seemed be about one of them alone and rarely did they both get the primary focus. The first half was almost all Jake, and the likewise with the latter half and Maguire. I assume that wasn't the attention of director Jim Sheridan, but that was the result. Brothers was a pleasant surprise for me. As I said, I don't often go for this kind of film, but the excellent acting of the three principal leads were enough to overcome my aversion to the genre.

• Bruce B

  
  .A good film for most to watch, another film that shows what us as US Fighting men have to endure. And if you have a brother who walked away with your wife or girl, because they were only good friends, it only adds to the shitty life we lead. When you been through this who do you… More
  .A good film for most to watch, another film that shows what us as US Fighting men have to endure. And if you have a brother who walked away with your wife or girl, because they were only good friends, it only adds to the shitty life we lead. When you been through this who do you trust. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has been through the hell of Iraq or Afghanistan. But still 5 Stars for what it shows .

• Chris W

  
  Extremely strong performances are the highlight of this moving and emotional tale of loss, struggle, and adjustment in the aftermath of troubling events. The story is good, but seemed a little thin. There's still enough there though to keep the film afloat, however. The cast is… More
  Extremely strong performances are the highlight of this moving and emotional tale of loss, struggle, and adjustment in the aftermath of troubling events. The story is good, but seemed a little thin. There's still enough there though to keep the film afloat, however. The cast is great, even the people who show up for a couple of scenes (Ethan Suplee) or just one each (Carey Mulligan, Clifton Collins Jr.) are great. I liked Sam Shephard, but he made me think of Chris Cooper. Bailee Madison gives a really good performance, showing that, in the right hands, child actors can be great. The three leads are where it's really at though.Portman is good, if slightly underwhelming. She is successfull at getting you to think she really is the mother of two young girls though. Gyllenhaal shines as the black sheep who finds himself rising to the occasion in his brother's absence, Now, about Tobey....I really don't have much to say. He steals the show. He has the hardest job to pull off here, and he does it perfectly. It seemed evntual that he'd have a role like this someday, and he doesn't disappoint. I would love to seem him tackle more roles of this nature and caliber. Sheridan once again proves he can take fairly routine melodraa and keep it from being without substance. He does small dramas well. It's a shame that this movie was basically overlooked at the awards ceremonies, because it deserves all the attention in the world.

• Derek A

  
  <i>Brothers</i> is a melodramatic remake that centers around a man who "immorally" comforts his deceased brother's wife and kids, only to find out months later that his brother was never really dead. Backed by an interesting premise, the film's fatal… More
  <i>Brothers</i> is a melodramatic remake that centers around a man who "immorally" comforts his deceased brother's wife and kids, only to find out months later that his brother was never really dead. Backed by an interesting premise, the film's fatal flaw lies in its inability to surprise. The story moves along at a stagnant pace, and is predictably linear. However, what really carries this film is the amazing performances by Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire. Big Jake was a bit sheepish here, or maybe he was just out-shined by his co-stars... either way, it was a forgettable performance for him. <p> <i>Brothers</i> is an emotional film that is relevant due to it's Iraqi War setting, but in the end, turns out to be a bit of a snoozefest with some hair-raising screaming matches at its climax. Recommended, but proceed with caution.

• Randy T

  
  A thoughtful, consequential look at war's aftermath. Jim Sheridan's remake of the Danish film <i>Brødre</i> attempts (with some degree of success) to put an American spin on Susanne Bier's critically acclaimed indie. To me, Tobey Maguire and Jake… More
  A thoughtful, consequential look at war's aftermath. Jim Sheridan's remake of the Danish film <i>Brødre</i> attempts (with some degree of success) to put an American spin on Susanne Bier's critically acclaimed indie. To me, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal seem almost interchangeable. They both excel when playing young, likable, boy-next-door sorts, and falter with dark or villainous characterizations. Both turn in admirable performances but their interaction as brothers feels a little contrived.

• Aaron N

  
  Tommy Cahill: I'd cut my throat to bring him back. A quality family drama from director Jim Sheridan. While it could have easily ventured into much more melodramatic territory, the film is much better written and too well acted to ever come off as over done. Tobey Maquire and… More
  Tommy Cahill: I'd cut my throat to bring him back. A quality family drama from director Jim Sheridan. While it could have easily ventured into much more melodramatic territory, the film is much better written and too well acted to ever come off as over done. Tobey Maquire and Jake Gyllenhaal play brothers in this film. Maguire is Sam, a Marine Captain, who is about to ship off to Afghanistan. Gyllenhaal is Tommy, a trouble maker just getting out of prison. Sam is married to Grace, played by Natalie Portman, and has two children. Problems arise soon after Sam is in Afghanistan only to go missing, presumed dead. While Grace deals with the loss of her husband, Tommy begins to make himself more of a presence around the house, taking care of some chores and helping with the kids, while developing a closer relationship with Grace. It is not a spoiler to say that Sam is in fact alive, as we are shown the harsh situations he must endure as a captured prisoner in Afghanistan. However, Sam does eventually make it home, but has some serious problems adjusting. Across the board, the performances are all very good. This also includes Sam Shephard as the father of the two brothers, along with Clifton Collins Jr. and Carey Mulligan in a small performance. Good work also comes from the elder daughter, played by Bailee Madison. The acting is truly a highlight of the film. As I've stated, the film never drifts into melodrama, and is in fact much better than the trailers would let on. You can certainly have an idea of where this film will go, but its very well handled throughout, with more elements that expand the film beyond just its story. I haven't seen too many of Sheridan's other films thus far, but between this film and In America, I can see that he certainly understands how to portray a family, as it all feels very right here. Solid flick. Sam Cahill: I'm drowning, Tommy.

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