Brothers Has Strong Acting, Weak Heart

Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver solid performances in Jim Sheridan's war movie Brothers, but the film doesn't measure up to the 2004 Danish original, say critics:

• Peter Howell, Toronto Star: "It's still a film worth seeing, if only for the performances, but it seems to be something far short of a labor of love by Sheridan."
• Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press: "There's no indication what Sheridan thought was special or moving about this movie or why he thought it needed to be made. ... It feels oddly sterile."

• Ramin Setoodeh, Newsweek: Portman shines, but this "is Maguire's movie." He "bites into his character like a rabid dog. Brothers shows us that even when our troops do come home, their war may be far from over."
• Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: " Brothers sometimes feels unnecessarily Hollywood, but there's a surprising amount of truth in there as well. "

(More Natalie Portman stories.)