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Quint was greatly impressed by Jim Sheridan's BROTHERS!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here just back from the Thursday midnight screening of Jim Sheridan’s BROTHERS. I’m not sure if there was a press screening and I just missed it or maybe there wasn’t one at all, but there was one local midnight screening and there I was.
To be completely up front, I originally intended to catch the midnight of ARMORED, insanely curious to see what the film feels like, see what Nimrod Antal could be bringing to the Robert Rodriguez-produced PREDATORS, but when a friend even more obsessed with Predator than I am couldn’t make it, I shifted over to Brothers.
The last trailer for Brothers was solid, but the first advertising pieces didn’t do much for me. Looked like a traditional Oscar-bait love triangle movie to me.
That said, Jim Sheridan is pretty dependable and my ginormous uber-crush on Natalie Portman is over a decade old, so no matter what I had that to look forward to.
Shock of shocks, Brothers is kind of great. I was involved from the beginning, despite some theater fuck-ups (the bulb literally burned out during the opening credits and for a few minutes the motion picture turned into an audio book), and was in it to the end.
Jim Sheridan and screenwriter David Benioff carefully tread some familiar dramatic waters, but always stop short of cliché.
If you’ve seen the trailer you won’t be spoiled by anything I have to say in this review, but if you haven’t then you might find some stuff out about the movie that’d be best discovered in the flick.
On the surface this film sounds like a modern times version of PEARL HARBOR as one brother goes off to war, is presumed dead and the other brother takes care of his brother’s family. When the missing brother (in this case Tobey Maguire) turns out to still be kicking there’s some tension as a romance of sorts has developed.
Like I said, this could have been the most clichéd repeated storyline ever, but the writing is super sharp, the direction aimed at pulling the audience in to the real emotion put on display by actors doing top notch work.
This could be my favorite performance by Tobey Maguire (outside of the great Satan’s Alley trailer from TROPIC THUNDER, of course). Upon his return he’s not right, some form of post traumatic stress mixed with a broken psyche from his time held hostage in Afghanistan, and I expected this to be kind of funny. I’m sorry, but I don’t find Tobey Maguire at all threatening, but I’ll be goddamned if he didn’t creep me the hell out in this movie.
Natalie Portman has reached the point where she looks like a gorgeous woman, not a beautiful girl. Her grief at the news of her husband’s death is delicately handled… it’s realistic without being melodramatic.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the no-good brother, recently paroled from a crime we don’t ever get the full lowdown on, only that it involved a bank and happened in his post high school years. Much like Portman, Gyllenhaal has matured noticeably and his performance is very nuanced, giving us a likeable yet unstable character.
I expected the love triangle to dominate the picture, but it doesn’t. There almost isn’t a love triangle. What you see in the trailer is all you get between Portman and Gyllenhaal, which is a device I loved. There is an attraction there, but neither character followed through on it, even when they thought Maguire was gone forever. It’s only Maguire’s own confused mind that escalates the tension, his delusions deeply cracking the fractures already in place.
Also turning in great performances are Sam Shepard and Mare Winningham as Maguire and Gyllenhaal’s dad and step-mother, respectively. This is another time when the filmmakers danced closely to well-tread territory as Shepard is the military father who loves his Marine son and hates his fuck-up jailbird son. There’s never a scene between the two that ends in a soap opera-ish teary-eyed hug, but there is a resolution… an acceptance… that feels so much more real than standard melodrama.
I also have to point out the kids in the movie. Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare play Maguire and Portman’s kids and both give performances that would be near impossible for actresses double their age to pull off. Madison is essentially the black sheep of the two. Adorable, but she doesn’t seek (or get) as much attention as her bubbly sister (Geare). You get a sense that history is repeating itself and what’s happening with Maguire’s kids is exactly what happened between him and Gyllenhaal’s characters in their childhood.
Madison doesn’t play the role moody… until her father returns home and she discovers that she much preferred the company of her Uncle Tommy. Her father who left healthy and sweet has returned cold, tortured, bug-eyed and too-skinny. It’s hard for her to accept and she lashes out. There’s once scene in this film set around a dinner table at a birthday party that could be one of my favorite scenes of the year… the tension keeps building and building, both visually and auditory, until you think it’s going to explode… and when it does it takes a step further that had my friends and I wide-eyed, mouths agape.
There’s only one gripe I have with the movie and that’s how it ends. I won’t give anything away, but I will say that it seems to be building to an incredibly dark place and never quite reaches the darkness. That’s not a flaw, necessarily, just what I personally would have preferred to see. Especially after that fantastic birthday scene. Also, my top crush of the year, the lovely Carey Mulligan (of AN EDUCATION), is in it and great, but only has one scene. That’s not enough Carey Mulligan for me. Sorry.
I haven’t seen the original Susanne Bier film, so I can’t speak to the adherence to that material, but I can say that I was extremely impressed with this film. Manipulative melodrama turns me off big time, so it’s not light praise when I say I felt emotionally involved and invested with every character in this story.
Color me impressed with this one.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Natalie Portman does look great in this. Almost like a real adult. -
Watching the trailers, that's what it appears to be about....and I just cannot believe it. For a second.
I still have visions of his "badass" strut from Spidey 3 in my head, and the thought of him going crazy doesn't not seem possible. -
Neither did I, but he pulls it off. Consider me surprised... pleasantly, of course.
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What we need is a story about how this country gives our Vets a minimal amount of "treatment" and then sends them out on the streets.
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too. Maguire looks badass. there is a terrific moment in the trailer when his daughter is at the diner table and she is pushing him and trying to get back at her mom.
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were you the only one there?
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Great role! Excellent film that is.
Dont underestimate him -
Nobody wants to spend their holiday season dealing with this shit.
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Quint, not sure about it's availability in the US but if you can get a hold of the Doctor Who episode "Blink", Carey Mulligan has the lead role of what is possibly the creepiest Doctor Who story ever...
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His unstable rage was perfect for the black symboite storyline. It would've been better than Peter Parker dancing around with an emo haircut.
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Because the script and director didn't ask him to?
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Yeah, that mutherfucker is crazy for real.
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...Peter Parker gets mad at the Prince of Persia cuz he was takin care of Padme? puhlease people this probably plays poorlier than Pinnochio in Prison (I dunno what I was sayin in that last sentence, just wanted to keep usin P's)...
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You didn't mention yourself once! Kudos to you, sir, for some pro writing!
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What are you telling us? You were lusting after her in Leon? Phantom Menace? She was still underage in that.
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If he shows up for spidey 4 as skinny as he did for 3, I'm not buying it. Spidey is thin, but he's not 130 pounds.
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Was the worst part about the movie. I thought it was terrible all around ruined by the acting (except for Jake Gyllenhall) but Tobey and his bug eyed stare was god awful. And Portman's performance was so "subtle", the performace didn't even exist. She just stood there.
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This one look like it deals with a REAL PROBLEMS, too. And when I say "REAL PROBLEMS" I mean "some boring shit".
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More white folks, more problems.
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Wasn't sold at first, but saw Tobey on Conan and he really won me over. That, plus this review, equals "two tickets, please."
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...the problem in this movie appears to be that Jake and Tobey are arguin who gets to plug the booty hole while the other brother plugs the baby hole
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It seems a little belittling for a male critic to continuely say he has "crushes" on practically every female actor he sees in a movie. This is Hollywood, Quint. Do you really expect the female actors starring in movies to be ugly? Its a little unsettling because I know male actors are not described as such, especially by female critics. I understand that the growing belief now is that men should act more and more like lovesick teenagers when describing women, specifically in the "film geek" community. But, it just feels terribly outdated and condescending. Even though I realize Quint is not trying to be those things. Couldn't there be some other ways to show endearment or respect than talking about female actors as if they are the pretty girl in class you have a crush on?
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...Renee Zellweiger... Sarah Jessica Parker... Meryl Streeps... Kristen Stewart (look at that freakin chin!)...
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Just saw this this afternoon. Dear LORD, there are no good movies out right now. It's just been pathetic for the last couple months.
Anyway, this was a well-acted drama of epic mental brutality. But it left me with absolutely nothing but a disturbed feeling at some of the acts of violence shown (one in particular of course).
I was glad for the ending, but it was a cop-out. There's no way Tobey MacGuire's character shifts that way at the end. What made more sense for the film was to have things end in the standoff outside the home. But again, I'm glad that's not how things came to a close, because the flick was already one of the most heavily depressing things I've seen in years.
But the depression seemed purposeless. I felt like I was just watching these people from miles away, observing. I didn't feel invested in anyone, although the kids tugged at your heart strings, especially the girl who played Isabella, who did an amazing job.
All in all, rang totally hollow when all was said and done, and the only thing it left me with was disturbing imagery without any sort of believable resolution and really without any sort of moral lesson, statement, etc.
If that's what the film set out to do, mission accomplished. It just wasn't for me, then. Bleakness for the sake of bleakness with a little forced light at the end that FELT forced and hollow.
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I know it comes off as creepy to say that my crush on Portman has lasted a decade, but I'm not some gray-haired writer sitting a leather-covered desk smoking a pipe. We're the same age. I think my crush actually began with Beautiful Girls, but can you call it creepy if I was crushing on a girl my age?So there's that. And the fact that I mention crushes at all... well, that's not gonna stop. It's part of the draw of cinema to connect emotionally with the people you see on the screen. If you don't get that, then I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye on movies. I don't stalk anybody, I've met both women I've professed to have crushes on in this article and that's part of the reason I still have crushes on them. They were both lovely people off the screen as well. I was very professional and didn't drool at all, I swear!
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That makes you a pedophile. Big surprise.
Oh, and as for this flaming dog-turd-in-a-paper-bag of a film? Yeah, knew you liberal douchebags would laud the 'crazy dangerous veteran' trope, what a fucking surprise. -
Dec 04, 2009 10:34:31 PM CST
It makes you a peophile if you have a crush on a girl...
by nasty in the pasty
...who's the same age as you? Wow, our nation's schools are a BREEDING GROUND for pedophiles!
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I remember thinking they would be before I saw it, then thinking they weren't after I saw it.
Anyway, I agree about this movie. And that kid was awesome. Natalie usually gets on my nerves but I actually thought she did a really good job in this movie. They all did. I hope they get some recognition. -
Actually, the second half of that season was just about flawless. I couldn't stand Tennet at first but I completely changed my mind after the 3 part "Last of the Doctors."
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thought it was well done. I have no desire to see the remake. Although Quint review do tempt me to see it. Good review!
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an irish legend passed away in a cork hospital. liam clancey was the last surviving member of the clancy bros. Tommy Makem joined the group as liam´s bros got sick and died. they then became know as the clancy bros and Tommy Makem. Liam was a legend. his music will live on. The ciritically acclaimed doc the yellow bittern is out now.
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If he HAD a crush on her when he first saw Beautiful Girls, that's okay. If he still gets the same tingle when he watches it now... He is a pedo.
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Dec 05, 2009 2:52:05 PM CST
I couldn't have disagreed with Quint more this time out
by iamnicksaicnsn
and I agree with Itri12, except for Maguire. I thought Maguire was actually ok. Like I said in Beaks' talkback, PTSD has been done better and deserves to have been done with a lot more effort and thought than it was in this movie.
Film is a "show-not-tell" medium, and there was nary a moment where I felt like I was being shown anything. "Sam (Maguire's character) was a great quarterback!" "Tommy (Gyllenhall) just got drunk and fought people!"
They showed so little character development, and even when they tried, it seemed too brief and didn't have much power to it. "Oo, Sam drinks too much and can't pay for his drinks. I (Portman) guess I'll go bail him out." This, like practically every scene in the movie, had so little weight to it because we never once were shown why we should care for these characters. I will definitely give some kudos to Maguire for stepping up his crazy game for this. I definitely feel he was slighted by the script. I never felt he made any sort of huge transition to pre-tragedy-Sam-The Hero to post-torturing-Sam-The Crazy person. They didn't show enough of him being a caring father, a stand-up guy. Which isn't to say that he wasn't, but again, it was all the other characters telling us about him, and never us seeing it. And as decent as the dinner scene was with the kids going off, I never believed their motivations were strong enough for turning on their father so quickly. I understand that the older daughter felt betrayed that he kept leaving, but her quoted reaction was so unrealistic, it felt like it only served to further the "push Sam over the edge" plot. They also gave those kids incredibly corny dialogue that was superbly annoying. But maybe that's what they were going for, I don't know. Either way, I say if you can see something else, do it. I'm probably going to see Bad Lieutenant tonight, and I'm really looking forward to that. -
Dec 05, 2009 3:33:54 PM CST
So, Spider-Man, Queen Amidala and Jack Twist walk into a bar...
by mrmysteryguest
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you motherfucker
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Not as many spoilers as the trailer, though. Just came away from this in the theatres and it was a pretty good character drama that really suffered from its unfocused nature. First, I want to say those that the movie is as neutral as it could be on the military and veterans. I've heard it called liberal anti-war propaganda and there's plenty of "Can't avoid the crazy war-vet cliche in movies" sentiments that speak more to the trailer than to movie, also even that is tenuous. The military is portrayed with respect in the movie but its not a blind whitewash as they acknowledge that there are humans beneath the uniforms the respond differently in an extreme situation like Afghanistan. The movie is quiet and subtle for the most parts, meandering its way through the story with occasional violent turbulent moments that grow more frequent as the movie gets further in. The best stuff is the acting, the cast paints a series of relationships that is believable and compelling, you won't even recognize Tobey Macguire. Unfortunately, if you're excited by the appearance of Clifton Collins Jr or Ethan Suplee (like I was), you'd better calm down now, because they're barely in the movie. The movie could have used a stronger purpose, overall, though the story is well told. There are just too many weighty issues being dealt with that I thought the whole movie was tip-toed too lightly for it to be as satisfying as I would have liked--wrapping up the one big element of the story without dealing with all the other loose threads flapping. Sorry but Tobey saying "You're my brother." over the phone isn't enough for me, not after so little between them.
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Wow, talk about a bunch of sour hearts. Really? You got to complain about someone's positive emotions towards an exceedingly beautiful woman? Feel free to never know me, you are a bitter nerd beyond compare.
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since i saw her in professional, i was 16 then she was ?. we were both underage so fuck off.
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Can't be better surely?
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it has the hallmarks of a made for the week TV movie with all of the cliches that come with it: the widow who walks to the doorway and sees the military guys and she instantly KNOWS her husband is dead, it has her sobbingly breaking down with a "He's dead!" interjection, there's the alcoholic father who pushes his kids too hard. And the Afganistan terrorist stuff is like out of an episode of 24... a BAD one. I mean, jesus fucking Christ, the main terrorist has an EVILLLLL translator who wears all black and gives the EVVVILLLLL eye in every shot. So, all in all, aside from some decent performances, nothing too impressive... wait, Quint loved it? Oh, that's right. Quint is awful. Of course he'd love it. Check.
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Go watch those. And if you're jonesing for a JG war movie go watch the underrated piece of minor genius that is Jarhead. Those movies are original and thoughtful (or just goofy) war narratives. This is not. Good freak out by Tobey at the end, even though the trailers gave it all away.
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That's 2 movies I've seen him in since Star Trek (Extract - which was underrated - and this one) and I've been totally like, "Hey, look! It's that Romulan guy from Trek who had all the dialogue aside from Nero!" You know the guy who holds up Kirk and is all like, "You can't even SPEAK!" He's been completely different in every role, the only constant is his bulbous head.
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I totally agree with Quint's review here. I'm a little bit torn on the scene he mentions that he wanted to go another way....part of me agrees, but part of me is glad it didn't go there.
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it has the scenario with Tobey being a soldier effected by the war but mostly a love story dealing with a complex relationship triangle, family, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. very well written and the acting is top notch. Oscars for sure.
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