Brothers

 

From a troubled upbringing dominated by their heavy-drinking, Marine father (Sam Shepard) the Cahill brothers have grown into very different men. Sam (Tobey Maguire) has become a dedicated Marine captain and much loved family man; his brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), a tattooed waster and criminal. When Sam is reported killed in action in Afghanistan Tommy is shocked into responsibility, helping Sam's widow, Grace (Natalie Portman), to cope with her loss and care of her two daughters. Unbeknownst to them we learn that Sam is alive and being held in cruel captivity by Afghan extremists. When he is rescued and returned to his family he is a changed man and events take a dark turn. The film's need to telescope this melodramatic plot while at the same time favouring an oblique, stagey presentation of events leaves it feeling both rushed and ponderous. Of the leads, only Gyllenhaal's performance elicits real sympathy. Whilst MacGuire, moving from smiling placidness to bug-eyed madness, is unconvincing as a traumatised veteran.