I finally figured it out. I finally realize why I felt a bit unsatisfied after the conclusion of Brothers. I should first say that all that has been said about the acting is spot on. It is a tremendous display of acting ability from all involved. I will not be surprised if nominations fall on all three of the leads. And the story seemed solid. Indeed, up until the end, I was completely engrossed in what was going on. Jim Sheridan had crafted what seemed to me to be an almost flawless movie. It was beautifully filmed, and very well written. The characters were strong, and I came to care for each one of them. It really isn't even about how the film ended that bothered me. I don't know how it could have ended any other way. Tobey Maguire's character had obviously become very affected in a deeply disturbing way by the events that occurred while he was in captivity. It was quite apparent that he was going to have to spend a substantial amount of time in a psychiatric hospital. So I was not disappointed in the way the film ended, but in what we, as the audience, already knew when the film reached it's concluding scene. When Maguire's character finally confesses to his wife what happened, there should have been a much more powerful emotional punch. The audience should have felt as if they had the breath knocked out of them. But we didn't. At least I didn't, and from the lack of any real reaction from those around me, I would venture to guess that no one else felt that way either. Again, it had to do with what we already knew. Had what happened in Afghanistan stayed a mystery to not only Natalie Portman's character, but to the audience as well, the conclusion to Brothers would have possibly been one of the most powerful endings to a film that I've seen in some time. But it wasn't a mystery. We already knew. And that is the reason I was left a bit unsatisfied at the end of this otherwise well made film.
Brothers
(I) (2009)
Great Acting, Good Story...But Felt A Bit Unsatisfying
13 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers