Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” was on our 60 Most Anticipated 2009 list, but the film seems to have almost vanished or at least been delayed and delayed.
A remake of the 2004 Danish film from director Susanna Bier (“Things We Lost In The Fire”), the film centers on a soldier declared deceased after being shot down in Afghanistan, who has actually survived but returns home only to suffer from battle fatigue and the realization that his wayward brother has moved in with the family. Both brothers, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, are in love with the same woman played by Natalie Portman.
The film was reportedly set for a late Summer release this year and now it seems like this might actually happen. This morning it was reported by Variety that Relativity Media struck a multi-year output deal with Lionsgate covering up to five movies a year.
The first film under this new pact is of course, Sheridan’s “Brothers.” The next two films are “Season of the Witch” (Dominic Sena, eh) and the action/comedy “The Spy Next Door,” neither of which really interest us much (or they don’t sound great at the moment anyhow, we can always be convinced otherwise).
The song “White As Snow,” from U2’s latest album No Line on the Horizon, has been called their most intimate song and is a hymnal to a soldier dying in Afghanistan. It was written specifically for “Brothers” (Sheridan and Bono – Irish brethren – have a long history together, including Bono co-penning songs from “In America” and “In The Name of The Father”), but the band decided to release it on their new record after the film’s many delays. The Guardian U.K. calls it, “unadorned, evocative and suggestive. And you don’t even have to know what it’s about to feel its quiet power or sense its sadness.” Presumably it’ll be featured in the film’s credits.
Update: Apparently there’s another song in “Brothers” written by U2 during the Horizon sessions that hasn’t been released yet called, “Winter.” The track can evidently be heard on the short film directed by Anton Corbijn that accompanies the album in the digipack format.
Without trying to be total cocks, Lionsgate does horror better than they do drama (at least lately), so let’s hope this one gets a fair shake.
There really haven’t been that many delays for Brothers. It was originally slated to be released in December of this past year. You make it seem like it’s been in purgatory for years.
The delay probably had to do with this deal, as the film got steller scores at screentests last summer.
You should read about Relativity going out and essentially making similar pitches to three or four studios (regarding this four to five picture a year deal) on Nikke’s site. I think they used “Brothers” as their “sweetener.” Which ever studio signed the deal ultimately got “Brothers” to release first.
Anyway, i’m glad the film will get a proper release. I’m with you, i’m hoping Lions Gate has it in them to release a drama properly.
The original Brothers is a great film. As is all of Bier’s work.
I loved "Brodres" but I felt Sheridan's version ventured into aspects that were somewhat left unsaid by the original. In the end it really proved to stand as it's own film. I suggest seeing both but do recommend catching "Brothers" in the theater while you can.
Yeah, Sheridan's version is surprisingly decent, but Bier's version is still exceptionally better.