Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal look pretty similar, don't they? That doe-eyed bulging apathy that seeps from their indistinct puff-gobs make them near gloomy twins.
Gylenhaal even nearly replaced Maguire as Spiderman when producers thought that Peter Parker needed to mope around a bit more in the sequel. It's little surprise that someone eventually paired the two together as siblings.
Brothers has Maguire as the straight-up soldier serving duty in Afghanistan while his drunk brother falls over a lot and takes fancy to Maguire?s misses. Hilarity doesn't quite insure, so much as gets tied to a breezeblock and tossed in a river.
Director Jim Sheridan decides to take a break from making films about 50 Cent being an awful turd and focuses on harrowing?Danish drama remakes. The type that?ll put thought in your head and regret in your heart for watching it with you girlfriend in the vein attempt to get lucky.
It's also pretty pedestrian stuff: after Sam (Maguire) goes missing in Afghanistan, his wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), has to deal with the aftermath and put her life back together. In walks rugged Tommy (Gyleenhaal), a rough-neck recently incarcerated loser, who decides to change both their lives for the better. Sparks fly, people cry, competent drama is on the menu. Things take a turn for the worst when Sam turns up again, only to find that his wife and brother are a bit too cosy.
If all of this sounds familiar, then you have probably seen Pearl Harbour. Or at least the second act of Pearl Harbour, after all that needless exposition and before all the carelessly exploitative action. You know, that horrible love triangle that sank the film into the bottom of the ocean of Hollywood?
Then again, when you replace Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett – a joint charisma level of a tin of sardines ? with the pedigree of the bloke who rode Seabiscuit and that guy from the film that made no sense, it becomes an affecting drama.
Maguire particularly stands out. His turmoil in Afghanistan, while grimly predictable, punctuates a desperate situation with subtlety. His return to his family gradually shows a man beginning to uncoil, at any moment about to snap.
Portman doesn't quite convince as much ? especially being a young mother of two with zero waistline. She doesn't have as much to do, though. Most of the time competing with Gylenhaal in a contest of ?Who Can Make The Most Vacant Expression?.
It's Maguire?s show and when it comes down to the climatic confrontation he delivers a riveting destructive outburst that suitably shocks and surprises. It's a shame, then, that the film is destined to be overlooked much like every other outstanding Maguire movie that isn't Spiderman; Pleasentville, The Ice Storm, Cats & Dogs. God dammit we love Cats & Dogs. Oh look, a sequel is out soon ? yay!
?Spray Rating: 3/5
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