Brothers

Wow. I thought I'd enjoy this, but I didn't know how much. Unrelated to the movie, I always found these two actors similar in looks/sound, so them being brothers worked. However, clearly Tobey Maguire is the better actor. From start to finish, he nails his role. Movies like this don't get Oscar nods, but he should. Natalie Portman as an adult...interesting, but again...brilliant. She has gotten better movie to movie, and now is a top actress. Gyllenhaal was solid as the bad brother turned good at the supposed death of his brother.

Plotwise, Bad brother (Jake) gets out of jail and is having a hard time adjusting to normal life. At the same time, his good brother (Tobey) is heading off to Afghanistan as he's in the military. Shortly after, it is assumed that he is dead. (The viewer sees that clearly he is not, although he is not in the best shape) Bad brother, Tommy (Jake) starts helping out Grace (Portman) as she is a struggling "widow." He develops an even better relationship with Sam (Tobey)'s impressionable young kids. After Sam gets back from his struggle overseas, he has trouble adapting, and suspects things are going on with his family that aren't right.

This movie is very moving, and has a lot of depth to it. It is meant in respect to the struggles that someone overseas goes through, and tries to get the viewer to see that things aren't always that easy, and aren't always that hard.

I highly recommend it.

I rate this movie 8.9 out of 10.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Ever see commercials for a movie too good to be true? A movie you can't wait to see, and then you see it and realize not only was it too good to be true, but it was an even bigger letdown than that? That is this movie.

It's mildly funny. Not really funny. Bridges and Spacey let me down, and they acted brilliantly (writing/directing issue). Clooney was what I expected. McGregor's accent was confusing.

The premise was good, and "somewhat true." However, it didn't go anywhere. From start to finish, I felt like I just watched a 10 minute movie. There was no development, climax, nothing. Just an hour and a half of movie going nowhere.

Yikes.

I rate this movie a 6.3 out of 10.

The Box

Pretty late on this one, but I'll continue. The Box is Richard Kelly's latest movie (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales). It is also based off of a Twilight (not the vampire crap) Zone episode. It stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden (Cyclops), as well as Frank Langella with half a face (terrible effect).

Just like Kelly's other movies this movie is really long and doesn't explain too much. The premise was clear from the commercial. Press the button, get $1 mil and a person you don't know dies. Don't, and nothing. SPOILER (if you are dumb) ALERT: They press it. The movie would end had they not. This is really early in the movie.

From here its a series of creepy characters, twists, the supernatural/metaphysical, and much, much more that is either hinted at, or slowly develops. You really have to pay attention to all the details.

If you didn't like Donnie Darko, you won't like this. If you did, you still might not like this movie. However, if you open up to the movie, and just try to take it for what it is, it is quite enjoyable. I actually like movies where I have to think, and I can analyze. This was both.

Oh, and the movie takes place in the 70s, and is filmed to look like it.

I rate this movie 7.6 out of 10.