Brothers (2009)

I haven’t seen Susanne Bier’s 2004 Danish film BRODRE of which this Jim Sheridan film is a remake but I trust it wasn’t as derivative and bloated with clichés as this exasperating film. Good son Tobey Maguire goes off to Afghanistan and is presumed killed and while away bad son Jake Gyllenhaal changes his spots and steps in to take care of Maguire’s wife (Natalie Portman) and two little girls. Then Maguire (after severe trauma and torture by Afghan rebels) returns home a zombie and we sit and wait for his big scene, the inevitable meltdown freak out. Yawn. Considering the recycled material (everything from COMING HOME, BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE WAR AT HOME), the actors (except for Maguire who is defeated by the material) do extremely well especially Gyllenhaal. Sam Shepard, Carey Mulligan and Mare Winningham co-star. The shameless score is by Thomas Newman and the crappy end credit song courtesy of U2.