Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. Rebecca Del Giorgio 02.03.10 / 9pm

   I much preferred the Danish original. I felt the remake somewhat lost the emotional intensity that made the original so compelling- it also didn’t require the monumental suspension of disbelief that this one does (Natalie Portman as a working class mother of two is deeply unconvincing, both aesthetically and in her delivery of the role). Like you said, it was predictable and the tension just wasn’t there. I hate to be one of those people turning up their noses at adaptations and sulking that, oh my god, the original was just sooo much better, but… it kind of was.
2. Brittnie Grajeda 03.03.10 / 5pm

   I have not seen the original version of this film, but am completely inspired to after reading this review/commentary. When I left the theater, I was, like you were, slightly unimpressed with the way the plot developed and I felt as if I could have predicted the entire film just from the trailer. On the other hand, though, I was so impressed by Toby McGuire’s performance, and genuinely moved by his portrayal of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that is so often overlooked in our society. It really made me think about the families and soldiers that are affected by this everyday, since this is not a side that is often advertised. I felt that the film left an impression on me in this sense, so much so that when I try to give a summary of it to someone else, I end up focusing entirely on McGuire’s role and the war aspect rather than the relationship bewteen Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal.
3. Carly Jacobson 03.28.10 / 4pm

   This was one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. It’s not the kind of disturbing where silly gory are constantly replaying, but it was all what is happening now. It shows us what soldiers are going through when they are out in battle and how there psychological states are thrown off balance. It seemed to make sense to go crazy after Toby Mcguires experience in the army, and it really takes a blow to your own heart to watch the kind of suffering our soldiers go through. Very well done movie, but very disturbing. Definitely the kind of movie you see if you plan to watch a comedy after. It will ruin your day if you are stuck in that mindset!
4. Jordan McCray 04.07.10 / 5pm

   I really did not like this film. I don’t know if it was because it was disturbing, or if it was just really hard to watch. I think that they portrayed this film in the previews to be about mostly the relationship between Natalie Portman’s character Grace and Tommy, but it was mostly about cruel and unusual torture that Capt. Sam is being put through in the war. It was either boring, and when it wasn’t boring it was really upsetting. All in all I thought it was not a very good film.
5. Zack Andrews 05.02.10 / 10pm

   I thought this was a very good film, though it had moments where it was very disturbing. The one scene where Captain Sam Cahill (Toby Maguire) murdered the other soldier was very shocking. This film shows how horrible war can be for the individuals close to it. The directors obviously tried to show the negative effects with the torture and separation Sam’s family had from him. I started to feel bad for Natalie Portman’s character Grace because she torn with loads of emotions. Overall this movie had moments of greatness mainly with the acting (especially Toby Maguire) but the overall movie bothered me with the graphic scenes of torture. While watching this movie I was on an emotional roller coaster and enjoyed it not the greatest movie but definitely not the worst.
6. Courtney Duran 05.05.10 / 12pm

   This film was very hard to watch. It was disturbing to watch the scenes of Captain Sam Cahill (Toby Macguire) as a prisoner of war as well as his traumatized state of mind after his return. His story was predictable but I found myself still interested and shocked in the film. The scenes where Sam was a prisoner blew my mind away. It was hard watching how the soldiers have been suffering and opened my eyes to what our world has come to. When Sam returns home it was hard watching the reactions towards his family. We as an audience saw what he witnessed but his family was lost as to what happened to him. Tommy (Jake Gylenhaal) and Natalie Portman’s relationship definitely lightened the mood of the film. I liked their connection with the children and helped the film to be not as depressing. Overall this film was pretty good despite the predictable storyline. I think the main focus was the acting and how people were reacting to soldiers on their return.
7. Zach Piehl 05.09.10 / 10pm

   This was a very weird film. Before even watching the film, I already had an idea that it was going to be a hard film to watch, and i did not think that the story would work. And, i was right. I thought Brothers was a terrible film. The plot was horrible, and the the film went off in too many different directions to even keep up with. Also the characters in the film were very unlikeable, and i just thought the entire film was a mess. The thing i hated most about the film was the ending. The ending was completely wrong for the story, and did not work at all. I do not recommend this film for anyone. Do not see this film!
8. Gabby Wallace 06.28.10 / 6pm

   I absolutely loved this movie. I though that it was casted perfectly and all the actors really got into character. I really enjoyed the plot of the family and it was very suspenseful. It kept me sucked in the whole time and my eyes were always glued on the screen. I really enjoyed the movies plot because it opened my eyes to problems family’s in america are actually suffering from today and just what war can do to its soldiers. I also enjoyed the sound effects in the film during all the parts filmed referring back to the war and when the soldiers are captured.
9. Paul Montoya 07.16.10 / 10pm

   Brothers was an extremely emotional movie that accomplished what it set out to do; however the plot hastily progresses into different parts without any contrast. As Amboy points out, this screenplay shifts from a hate relationship with the deadbeat brother to an accepting and loving relationship after the news of the missing brother. The progression from one extreme to another seems to take away from the dramatic premise of the characters and reduces the, otherwise great, attempt at extreme realism. This film has the potential to be a great modern film but lacks in certain, vital areas. With the comments of my peers explaining that the original film retains a greater sense of realism than the remake, I intend to see the original Brothers soon since the original had such an emotional impact on me.
10. Kyle Curry 11.08.10 / 2pm

    There isn’t very many movies that have made me feel so emotionally attached to the characters before. walking into it I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was blown away by what I had seen. Toby McGuire’s performance in this film is by far the the best I have scene from him. (In my opinion destroys his performance in spider man by comparison) The thing I liked most about this film was that the storyline seemed so real, I could totally imagine people all over the world in similar situations. There was no amazing action scenes or special effects but all the actors did an extraordinary job and the writing, more specifically the dialogue, was flawless.
11. kyle spears 10.16.15 / 2pm

    First ill start with saying i enjoyed this film, but almost entirely for toby and jakes rolls they portrayed in the film. I thought as you had mentioned the film was pretty blatantly obvious with almost telling you everything that was going to happen in the film. The acting performances they gave in the film was the saving grace to the film though they really were able to give a very believable role. I liked how you pointed out that the movie was just kid of almost too predictable and that a lot of movies are like that now. I to wish that some films would not be as predictable it would be nice for a change.

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