Tale of two ‘Brothers’
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, June 23, 2005
A classic tale of opposite brothers is given a fresh take in “Brothers,” an award-winning Danish film. These siblings are so unalike they might have stepped out of a fairy tale, maybe one written by Hans Christian Andersen, another Dane.
| Well-acted: A directly emotional Danish film about a good brother who goes off to fight in Afghanistan and a bad brother who stays behind to face new responsibilities. Exceptionally well-acted, especially by Hollywood star (and Denmark native) Connie Nielsen. (In Danish, with English subtitles.)
Rated: R rating is for violence, nudity. Now showing: Varsity. |
The good brother is Michael (Ulrich Thomsen), a family man. As the film opens, he is picking up the bad brother, Jannik (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), from a prison stint. Jannik has a history of petty crime and general irresponsibility.
Michael is about to leave wife Sarah (Connie Nielsen) and their two kids to fulfill military duty in Afghanistan. Jannik will get back to what he does best – disappointing people.
And then Michael’s helicopter goes down, and everybody’s world changes. At that point, the notion of survival comes to the fore. Whether you are in an uncertain domestic situation or a war zone, what would you do to survive?
This thorny situation was written by Anders Thomas Jensen, a screenwriter whose name has been associated with a batch of good Danish films lately: “Mifune,” “Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself” (which was also about differing brothers), and “Open Hearts.” The latter was directed by Susanne Bier, who also performs the duties here.
They have fashioned a movie that is directly emotional but with lots of room for gray areas. Despite the title, as the movie goes along Sarah becomes the fulcrum of the picture – with Michael absent, how should she respond to Jannik’s sudden shift in attitude? And what happens when the arithmetic changes again halfway through the story?
Bier comes at the material in the handheld, intimate way associated with Denmark’s “Dogme” school of moviemaking. There are scenes in “Brothers” that burrow right into the knotty business of family dynamics, and there are scenes that break apart with anger.
If the changes in the characters sometimes feel a little too perfect – as though they were mapped out to fit a design – you can’t argue with the acting. The brothers are exceptionally well-cast, but the revelation is Connie Nielsen, the Hollywood actress best known for “Gladiator.”
Nielsen was born and raised in Denmark, but this is her first Danish picture. She’s so good that you wonder whether her supermodel looks have actually distracted people from her talent. All right, we won’t waste any tears for her, but still: She’s poised for meatier things, if somebody gives her a challenge.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas (left) and Ulrich Thomsen star in “Brothers.”
