Brothers (2004)

'After the Wedding' is Bier's masterpiece, but 'Brothers' well worth your time, too

Each week, Wall Street Journal movie reviewer Joe Morgenstern lists his DVD Tip for the week. Typically, it's a subtitled gem overlooked by a domestic audience. This week, it was director Susanne Bier's masterpiece, After the Wedding, a surefire Oscar winner had it not been for the unsurpassed brilliance of writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others. Ms. Bier's previous work, "Brothers," is up to those same high standards.

Though not an original subscriber to countryman Lars Von Trier's Dogme 95 manifesto, the best of that spirit infuses Bier's work - natural lighting and hand-held cameras give her movies a jarring, life-like feel. Of course, the actors still have to make it work. Leads Connie Nielsen, Ulrich Thomsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas excel here. Of special note, Thomsen's Michael gives a devastating take on battleground horrors (about as terrible a scenario as you could imagine), PTS syndrome and its devastating effects on one family.

For those of you disappointed in Things We Lost in the Fire, Ms. Bier's US debut, but unfamiliar with her Danish work, I strongly encourage you to check out these two releases to see the greatness of which she's capable given the right material. October 4, 2008

A Must See

I won't go into details about what the movie is about others have already done that. This movie is excellent. It is at times rough, brutal, and it doesn't shy away from or flinch from touchy subject material. This is a movie about war and the impacts and ripple effects that war and the actions one makes while at war can have on a family. Don't expect that this to be a happy movie.

The interplay in the family between the brothers is also an interesting aspect of the movie. Because I think the filmakers could easily have done just a war movie yet the play up to the whole good v. bad brother and yet you realize at the end of the movie there is no good or bad brother we are all just people trying to live with the difficult decisions we make every day. and "good" people can make very bad decisions. that doesn't make them any less good does it?

I was worried about the love triangle but the film makers didn't ruin the movie or make it too soap operay. The actors in this movie are amazing. This is really a great movie and a must see. September 18, 2008

Such a truthful telling of the power of guilt...

One of those movies that'll definitely throw you for a loop, `Brodre' is not the movie I thought it was going to be, not in the least. That said, `Brodre' is honestly one of the best movies I have had the privilege of seeing in recent memory for it struck such a tone with me, resonating deep in my gut as it contorted itself into such an emotionally resounding masterpiece. There are moments so quietly sincere within this film that I found myself shaking because I was so caught up in what I was beholding, not to mention the overwhelming foreknowledge that devastation is bound to overtake this seemingly loving family.

`Brodre' tells the story of Sarah and Michael, a seemingly happy couple raising their two daughters Natalia and Camilla. When Michael is sent to Afghanistan and thought to have been killed Sarah and her daughters try and patch up the pieces of their shattered existence with the help of Michael's younger brother Jannik. Jannik is the black sheep of the family. While Michael was serving his country Jannik was serving time for armed robbery. Michael's demise though has brought Sarah and Jannik together, both of them missing Michael sorely and relying on each other to fill the void his death has left. The thing is that Michael has not died, but was captured and is being held prisoner awaiting his rescue. Their lives have already been turned upside down by Michael's disappearance, but his return causes even more grief and heartache as his suspicious and jealousies threaten to tear the entire family to shreds.

What blows my mind about this film is how it appears to be one thing (a fragile romance between a lonely widow and a guilty brother) and turns out to be something so much more. Michael's experiences in captivity are really what fuel the second half of this marvelous character study. Much is made of the budding romance, but that said romance is really just a blinder for what the film is really about; guilt.

Michael is so overwhelmed with guilt for what he has done (I refuse to give away the secret) that he allows himself to find fault with and or accuse his family, the ones he loves most, of almost anything in order to remove his guilt. He hates himself so much that he needs to feed on hatred for others to free himself from his own pain. He knows that his wife is not in love with Jannik and he knows that Jannik would never attempt anything with Sarah but he cannot allow himself to reason on the matter for if he did then he would only be able to hate himself, and we as humans are programmed to love ourselves, no matter what the cost.

The performances within this film are borderline brilliant, especially that of Ulrich Thomsen who portrays Michael with so much humanity we are left aching for him. He is so confident and so strong in the beginning, but as his time in captivity ticks away we see him crumble, and then his tragic turn as he returns home is so overwhelming, so brutal that I can't give him enough praise for capturing his characters every emotional shift so accurately. Connie Nielsen is also fantastic here as Sarah. She manages to create a very sympathetic yet realistic portrayal of a woman on the verge of losing it all. Nikolaj Lie Kaas probably has the most difficult character to develop and he does so wonderfully, making Jannik a very understandable and sympathetic character despite his flaws. His drunk scene, where he hears about Michael's death (which he actually played drunk), is outstanding and so raw; it may actually be my favorite scene in the film.

When all is said and done, `Brodre' is one of the most heartbreaking yet truthful films I have seen lately on the subject of human reaction to ones self. This is not a story about infidelity or about war or about marriage as much as it is about one mans war with his own actions, his own feelings about his actions and how we can single-handedly destroy ourselves by not accepting the courses we take. September 18, 2008

What Other Movies Can Only Dream Of Being: A Magnificant Masterpiece

While I stumbled upon this wonderful movie because I was looking for other movies with Connie Nielsen, I can only agree with other reviewers. The movie is everything they say it is and more. As a veteran who served and has spent time in VA hospitals, I can tell you this movie hit home.

My only wish is that the movie would come out in an English dubbed version so that the movie might garner greater exposure to the general public. If more people saw this movie they would by sheer exposure learn something about the realities of Afghanistan/Middle East politics and their effects on all humans lives.

Update--1 July 2008: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks. March 14, 2008

Not to be missed

Wow! This is some movie. I'm no expert on films but I know when I see something that is flat out great and this movie is it. The story is topical(a soldier who is a loving husband,father serving in Danish Army in Afganistan)and very powerful in showing his return and how it affects his Wife, Kids, and rest of his Family. What makes this film so good is how authentic the characters are portrayed. Unlike similar American films (Home of the Brave)nobody seems like they're "acting" here,right down to the two adoreable little girls. The two brothers involved with Connie Nielsen are equally compelling and the movie leaves you breathless with how "real & unsanitized" all the characters are. Track down this film and watch it--it's great. January 5, 2008

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