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 An old, cruddy quarter and a new, shiny quarter may look very different, but they’re both worth 25 cents.
In the same way, the gritty 2004 Danish film Brødre and its current remake, Brothers, look very different, but are essentially the same strong story underneath it all.
The newer version, directed by Jim Sheridan with a screenplay written by David Benioff (The Kite Runner, Stay), mirrors the original so closely that it makes one wonder what would have happened if the filmmakers had instead decided to push the movie in a different direction. However, Brothers is an excellent view into the effects of war on the home and returned soldiers. Some emotional scenes are especially haunting, as the tension between the characters continues to escalate.
Thirty-something Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and his younger brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), are polar opposites. A Marine embarking on his fourth tour of duty, Sam is a family man, married to Grace (Natalie Portman) with two small children. Tommy, a drifter, has just been released from jail and easily slips back into the black sheep role of the family.
When Sam returns to Afghanistan, his helicopter crashes and he’s presumed dead. At home, Grace is filled with a shocking void, which Tommy begins to fill.
 But Sam’s not dead. He’s been captured by Taliban soldiers, and for the majority of the film, viewers are shuffled back-and-forth from the powerful torture scenes in Afghanistan to the domestic desert at the Cahill home.
When Sam is eventually rescued and returns home, he’s a shell of the man who left, and Grace, Tommy and the two daughters are left to piece Sam back together. However, his deep jealousy and paranoia of Tommy’s new stability pushes him into an even darker and volatile place.
Certain scenes in the film shine in their potency, due mainly to the talented acting of Brothers’ cast. Natalie Portman, as photogenic as ever as a mom, is striking in some of the saddest moments of the film. Tobey Maguire succeeds in capturing the hollow and haunting personality of a broken soldier, returned to a universe he doesn’t recognize. Jake Gyllenhaal, while almost too lovable as the rebel brother, is endearing with his rough edges. Especially notable are the two young actresses, Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare, who play the Cahill girls. They’re expressive, believable and show the aftershocks that a torn family can have on its youngest members.
The minor changes that the remake does make are clearly for added tension and effect. Audiences get more time in Afghanistan than the original Brødre, but the scenes are not ever really believable. Even the most dramatic scenes have been altered to push the envelope emotionally, and it often works.
 An interesting addition in Brothers is a more significant part for the Cahill boys’ parents, played by Sam Shepard and Mare Winningham. There are hints that their father, Hank (Shepard), had his own trauma from his work as a Marine, but at the same time pushed his son to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, this interesting twist is never fully explored.
Brothers is often emotionally gripping, sometimes funny and sweet, and overall an interesting exploration of the effects of war on the home. While it may be a twin of its predecessor, that does not make it a bad film--just not a new one. For the many who have never seen the original, though, this remake will be satisfying enough with its talented actors and absorbing scenes. It’s shiny, new and well worth it.
Brothers is now playing in theaters everywhere.
For more information, visit its official Web site.
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