Ed's Review Dot Com

Lionsgate

Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Mare Winningham

Brothers is an intense look into the lives of a disturbed family.   Two brothers are very close, but one is a screwup just out of prison, and the other a hero who does everything right.  Tobey’s character is the nice boy.  He’s married and on his way for his second tour to Afghanistan.  While he’s gone tragedy happens, and everyone is suspicious as the screw up brother steps up and tries to do the right thing for the right reasons.  Or does he?  After all, everyone thinks his brother is dead.

When her husband comes back, he’s changed, Or is he?

Jealous now, that something may not be exactly right about his brother’s relationship with his wife.  What is wrong?

There’s a lot to these characters and no one is who you may expect.  Do the brothers really care about each other?  Who’s side is Dad on?  What’s really going on?

This is a pretty decent movie.  It’s not real fast paced, but there is an awful lot going on and the end is rather suspenseful.

Mostly I think it’s rightly named, as the realationship of the “Brothers” is the crux of the story.    But by the time it’s over, you feel like you know them all, and it’s worth the effort.  This movie is often listed as anti-war.  I don’t think it takes a stand on the war.  But I think it’s a valid expression of how war changes people.   Whether you take that as anti-war or not, I’m not able to say.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog