What can we say about Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” that we haven’t already said? While you’re taking your first look at official photos of the film (via AwardsDaily) here’s the recap in a sec.
BTW, we just started reading this script and it’s basically a Cain & Abel story with a love triangle twist. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the black sheep of a snowy Pennsylvania-based family whose bad behavior (an assault) has left him in jail for three years. Tobey Maguire plays the military man older brother done good and Natalie Portman plays his wife and the mother of their two daughters. But when his tour of duty in Afghanistan goes awry, he is presumed killed in action and Gyllenhaal’s brother character (just recently released from prison) starts to encroach, seemingly to finally give back and support the family. But is Maguire’s character actually dead? When he finally arrives back home, things get ugly.
Or as the IMDB synopsis says, “A young man comforts his older brother’s wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan” (btw, we’re not spoiling anything that hasn’t been written before). Ok to recap:
– The film is due out in theaters December 4th – yes, Oscar Season.
– The director is Jim Sheridan, who also has a solid Oscar track record “In America,” “In The Name Of The Father,” “My Left Foot,” etc.)
– The writer is David Benioff, known for penning “The 25th Hour” and “The Kite Runner,” but perhaps having lost cred for writing “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (he also wrote the Kurt Cobain biopic, which still hasn’t received a green light by any studio).
– The film is a remake of the 2004 Danish film “Brødre” from director Susanna Bier (“Things We Lost In The Fire”).
– Irish rockers U2 contributed two songs to the film.