Brothers: DVD Review

Brothers: DVD Review

Brothers

Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M

Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman star in this war drama about the bonds of a family and the horror of war.

Maguire is Captain Sam Cahill who's embarking on a fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan, leaving his wife (Portman) and daughters behind. Just before he heads off, Gyllenhaal's Tommy comes out of jail and attempts an uneasy return to the family.

However, Sam asks Tommy to look after the family while he's away - unfortunately Sam's shot down in Afghanistan and the family is ripped asunder.

Based on a Danish film of the same name, Brothers is quite a traditional melodrama which is a little slow to get going but thanks to the captivating and gripping performances of the main trio involved, it becomes a movie which you can't tear your eyes from towards the end.

While Gyllenhaal and Portman have an easy chemistry - it's Tobey Maguire who really layers on the textured performance and easily captures the horror of war and the psychological effects of the trauma long after leaving the conflict.

Extras: A doco about the director Jim Sheridan, how the film was made for America, and a trailer

Rating: 7/10