When you will first come across 3 leads in seeing of Jim Sheridan, somber Brothers, you simply cant help other than thinking that they are kids. It is quite easy to remember Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal acting either in the teens or just playing the part of the teens. They have an appearance like the young adults. Rather than taking us completely out of movie, this credit makes damage inflicted on the characters more damning and powerful.

Maguire plays the character of Sam Cahill. He is the one who got reunited with Tommy, his younger brother. At the family dinner, Sam is actually asked for leaving behind the wife, Grace and 2 daughters. His job turns out to be terrifying when he is actually taken hostage with the other soldier. The military is unaware of the whereabouts of Sam and assumes that he is dead and thus Cahill family starts to mourn.

The film Brothers follows 2 parallel paths: horrifying war in faraway place and cruel emotional fight at home. At times Sheridan makes use of it for showing the contrast. Tommy, Grace and girls ice skate when Sam is actually locked. Other times, director layers a sad setting over the frightening one and tension takes the breadth away.

While Sam comes back home, Brothers become the story of heartbreak. It is a drama, which effectively and simply states that the war can actually destroy everything. Sam can think about what has really happened to him. At same time, the budding friendship in between Grace and Tommy might be bit more but that is also not discussed clearly.

Sheridan is simply no stranger for the characters that face adversity. Maguire lost twenty pounds for portraying Sam of post war, turns out his character to the wide-open wound, the man changed completely, lost forever profoundly. The loss of weight already emphasis the eyes pf Maguire, his choice of bulging them in fright, combined up with verbal confusion and simmering anger, is scary for his mental state becomes tenuous.

Gyllenhaal is hanging often on for ride in presence of Maguire. He however has the transition of his own which he competently manages. Portman succeeds in actually what might be toughest task of all, shaping combinations of regret, sadness, pride and fear. She had taken on the grab bag of emotions without even giving or overselling too much.