Brothers

Brothers is a 2009 American thriller film directed by Jim Sheridan, who made his directorial debut by taking creative liberties with the novel 'Brothers' by Noah Boyd. The movie stars Tobey Maguire as Sam Cahill, a Marine Sergeant who has completed three tours of duty, but his journey to a fourth deployment results in a tragic helicopter crash that puts his life in danger. In the midst of Sam's final tour of duty, his family prepares for his farewell from home. His wife, Grace Cahill (played by Natalie Portman), whose faith in her husband dwindles with every deployment, continues to hold onto their four-year-old son, Andrew, and seven-year-old daughter, Maggie. When news of Sam's presumed death reaches America, the Cahill family gets a double blow: Sam's death gives them closure, but also throws them into chaos. Sam's brother, Tommy Cahill, an irresponsible and volatile ex-con, wants to step in and help out with the responsibilities of maintaining his former brother's family. Tommy, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, seems mature for his age, but is undeniably eccentric and immature. Despite Sam's instruction to take care of their family, Tommy eventually becomes a burden on his sister-in-law, Grace, with his propensity to bicker over trivial matters. His resentment runs deep, fostering envy that ultimately turns him against his brother and the community. Backstage to Sam's miraculous return from the battlefield, as a prisoner of war captured after his supposed death forces him to endure tremendous emotional trauma. Reconciliations turn into brutal confrontations when their soldier is repatriated to his family back home. Grace welcomes Sam back into their lives with tears of joy, while Tommy is still in the realm of anger and the betrayal that shook him. In the midst of chaos, old wounds begin to surface. After struggling to regain emotional control and physically rehabilitate himself after more than a year away from home, Sam reunites with his family but they face intense tensions as the reality of war sets in. The more Sam appears to resume his old normal self, the more devastating experiences he encountered test his strength of wills and resolve. His resolve deteriorate gradually as Sammy takes control again of family responsibilities and they try to reunite with each other without resistance. This tense situation exposes the hidden animosity between Sam and Tommy to the surface. Emotions have had their surge with the war trauma experienced by the family. The struggles they deal with force the two soldiers to examine thoroughly their complex motives, while memories interrelate to push their anger towards their brother. Domestic turbulence erupts rapidly. Not merely defined by warfare and chaos, Brothers is an in-depth analysis of family dynamics and violence. With the intricate battle going behind walls, character development is never absent and their inner voices keep coming alive while drawing the family towards a collapse. This masterpiece follows siblings in their grueling journey, pursuing emotional ties in a world that no more recognizes a human-life when love seems to flee instantly.