A movie called Brothers

How did it get on my Netflix queue, I dont remember, but it is a movie you need to see. Somebody must have mentioned it, and I never heard of it again. Nobody talks about it. Nobody raves as if it were a 'must see.' But a more human movie you will not find in the last 24 months, perhaps longer.

A soldier goes off to war in Afghanistan while his new-released loner convict brother remains behind and slowly regains acceptance with the family stateside. While dad experiences unimaginable things as a soldier, life goes on back home. Tobey Maguire's portrayal of the returned war hero is magnificent. You'll remember him in this movie and replace the Spiderman association. Natalie Portman has finally become a woman and has a role in which to be one, though I have to say she is not a great actor, and though given a chance to be one here merely comes off as an eye-candy placeholder. Jake Gyllenhaal (sp?) is a flawless no-count brother and is a candidate for some movie hall of fame (I saw him in Brokeback Mountain recently, and though I found the gay cowboy stuff unbelievable the acting was great).

I can't say more without giving away the plot, but you will find not so much cliches in this movie, but familiar themes in all their human garb. A good story with painful scenes. No, not a landmark, but important. Not Academy material, but compelling (...er, whatever that means). And you are left to think seriously as the credits role about matters of real, here-and-now import: war, family, fidelity, children, trust, healing, brotherhood.