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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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 Posted - 12/19/2009 : 15:54:33
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Brothers
What I like about Jim Sheridan's remake of Suzanne Bier's Swedish film is the way the actors unselfishly share the screen. It seems extra appropriate for a story that tries to examine the aftermath of of guilt and moral doubt on a network of related people.
You expect a performance of complexity from Jake Gyllenhaal, but I, at least, was surprised by Tobey Maguire's handling of his dilemma. Probably best of all, with so little screentime, is Sam Shepard as their father. He perfectly captures the pain and degradation beneath an undemonstrative exterior, that typical "man of few words."
The circumstances the family finds itself in sure start stirring the shit. Along the way there are stopovers at sibling rivalry, the brutality of war, the brutality of peace, and, most of all what people mean to each - even when they're mean to each other.
It's not a great movie. Sheridan divides the film into too many blocks of narrative, which, in the end, removes us from the real pain of the characters. We're also asked to take too much on trust during the process of rehabilitation. A less chronological structure would have helped, plus it would have been a better container for the degrees of guilt felt by all the main characters.
I realize I haven't mentioned Natalie Portman as Maguire's wife. She's fine, but the emotional focus really isn't on her. She'd have been a stronger character if it were.
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Edited by - BaftaBaby on 12/19/2009 15:55:49 |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 12/19/2009 : 20:50:17
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| The original is Danish, not Swedish. I saw it at Sundance five years ago, and was then so moved that I elected to skip the new remake. That '05 view was the first time I saw Connie Nielsen, she of GLADIATOR, perform in her native tongue, and she ripped the screen apart. [The emotional focus was on her.] It was one of the highlights of the festival for us. Maybe I'll Netflick the remake some day, but it has a very tough uphill battle at our house, and I'm almost positive I've already seen the same story done better. |
Edited by - randall on 12/19/2009 21:47:45 |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 12/20/2009 : 01:01:28
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quote:
Originally posted by randall
The original is Danish, not Swedish.
You know I was going to put that because that's what I thought, too. Then I did some web-trawling and read it was actually considered a Swedish film -- something about finance? But, you're right, it's not. It's Danish.
Sorry I mislead you.
Interesting that you were moved by the original. I wonder if that does have something to do with the wife's role being the emotional focus.
Sheridan's version is just too Brechtian to elicit immediate emotion.
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 12/20/2009 : 11:31:18
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You didn't mislead me, Baffy: I'm just goin' by (1) the Sundance catalog, which lists the country of origin on every film, (2) the language on the soundtrack, and (3) the director's and Connie Nielsen's birthplace. Both of them, actor and director, were terrific.
EDIT: But you have successfully warned me away, re the Brechtian distance you cite and my admiration for the original. So thanks, and I do mean that sincerely. |
Edited by - randall on 12/20/2009 15:31:50 |
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ChocolateLady 
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 12/25/2009 : 08:55:04
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| Tobey Mcguire really was a surprise here, but what was even more amazing was Bailee Madison as the older daughter, Isabelle. What an amazing performance, despite some script holes that Bafta mentioned, which also held her back a bit. The scene with the balloon at the birthday dinner was stunningly done, and she was perfect throughout the film. |
Edited by - ChocolateLady on 12/25/2009 08:55:42 |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/16/2010 : 20:54:50
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Brothers
I'm totally with C.L. about that child actress, who gives a sensitive and totally genuine performance as a serious child who feels out of place relative to her younger, fun-loving sister. The albeit obvious parallel with the brothers is very nicely done in terms of the special relationship she therefore develops with her uncle.
I was very surprised by how well Gyllenhaal and Maguire fitted as brothers, seeing as I think of one as a god and one as a chimpanzee.
The biggest flaw of the film is the event that traumatises Maguire's character. It just doesn't make sense that that would happen, as the practical success that it has is unlikely in the extreme. I guess that's why I only gave it 4/5. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/17/2010 : 07:56:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
The biggest flaw of the film is the event that traumatises Maguire's character. It just doesn't make sense that that would happen, as the practical success that it has is unlikely in the extreme. I guess that's why I only gave it 4/5.
Would that I could tell you that you are right about this, but unfortunately, things like this actually do, and have happened in real life. |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/17/2010 : 09:59:29
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| Fair enough, although I'm shocked that anyone would think it could be a successful course of action, let alone that it actually would be. Having said that, I had forgotten that (spoiler) they don't actually release him � they just haven't killed him by the time he is rescued. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/17/2010 : 12:43:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
Fair enough, although I'm shocked that anyone would think it could be a successful course of action, let alone that it actually would be.
The world is a shocking place, my friend.
And as for your spoiler, had your initial mistaken recollection been how the script went (instead of what they actually had), THAT would have been unbelievable and totally unrealistic. |
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Brothers
