I am not myself

“I’m drowning, Tommy”

I wanted to use that quote as a title because for me it pretty much summarizes the film Brothers. I’m not such a fan of war movies or TV shows (i.e. I’m not an expert on the matter), I guess they made me feel too anxious because of the violence they portray, or maybe the reason is that I’m so sensitive to them that most of the time I end up crying my eyes out (e.g. Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima). And I sometimes don’t feel quite prepared to that kind of emotions; I think the main reason is that I haven’t lived anything similar to a war and I don’t understand it… although is there anything to understand about war? However, I’m determined to put an end to my sensitive unpreparedness to the subject, and I ask you for some recommendations. Will be very appreciated.

Anyhow, it’s not war what I’d like to talk about but the relationship between the brothers of this film. It’s a very simple story (based on the original Danish film Brødre): the good brother/son that always saves the bad brother/son, but unexpectedly the good one has to be saved by the bad one. The thing that makes it complicated is war and the consequences it brings to a family.

The film is worth seeing because is very well-acted, particularly by Tobey Maguire, I consider this one the best performance of his career so far… This said by a person who couldn’t stand this actor’s work before this film. The rest of the actors are OK. Natalie Portman always does a good job. Jake Gyllenhaal’s not best performance but it is consistent with the story. And the little girls are fantastic, especially the older one, she’s so cute and she accomplishes to convey all the mixed feelings that her character has.

The importance of the quote that entitles this post lies in the connection that it has to a story of the brothers when they were child: the bad one was saved by the good one of drowning in a river. Maguire’s character is a soldier, captain Sam Cahill, sent to Afghanistan to fight for his country; he has to leave behind his wife and two kids. His father, proud of him, is always looking down on his other son, Tommy Cahill, who is an irresponsable guy that just got out of jail. After the supposed death of Sam, Tommy changes completely his way of life, becomes a responsable adult worried about the well-being of his nieces and sister-in-law.

However, this situation will change when Sam returns and claims his role as father and husband, combined with the PTSD he’s suffering because of all the atrocities he was victim and that he performed while he was a prisoner. In the end, the only person he can ask for help is to his brother, how does he do it? Saying that line, so simple but so full of despair and pain.

All in all, the film is good, at times a little slow without never falling in the category of dull or boring. The scenes of captive Sam in Afghanistan are very shocking and a bit disturbing. And great Maguire’s performance of a lost man that keeps his pain in silence is worth it. Fully recommended even if you’re not into war movies… trust me! The only thing that I HAVE to do now is to watch the original. There is a well-known fact that originals always beat remakes.