Brothers, a movie that takes a hauntingly close look at an American family fractured by the trauma of the War in Afghanistan, will leave you captivated and sweating in your seat until the very end.

Brothers tells the story of–you guessed it–two brothers.  Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal, The Day After Tomorrow) is fresh out of prison while, Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man) is a Captain in the Marines preparing to deploy again to fight in Afghanistan.

Once Sam is presumed to be dead after his helicopter is shot down, Tommy attempts to comfort Sam’s wife, Grace (Natalie Portman, The Other Boleyn Girl) and her daughters through the tragedy.

Grace, who had initially been wary of her ex-convict brother-in-law, slowly becomes fonder of him as the movie progresses while he helps her with daily chores in addition to entertaining her daughters.  The two become emotionally drawn to one another through their unique circumstances.  However, both feel guilty and awkward when given the opportunity to take their relationship to the next level.

Meanwhile, Sam has been taken prisoner by an isolated group of Afghan soldiers but is later rescued by American Marines.  While he is physically in good shape, Sam had been forced to make some heart-wrenching decisions while being held captive which will haunt him for the rest of his life.

When he returns home much to the delight of his family, Sam is merely a shell of his former self and his presence is no longer enjoyed by his daughters or even Grace.  To worsen the circumstances, Sam irrationally accuses Grace of being unfaithful with Tommy.

Naturally this causes tension to mount for the rest of the film, captivating the audience and eventually boiling over into one explosive scene at the end where a distraught Sam struggles to vent all of his frustrations.

Despite being known for much more boyish roles, Maguire played the part of the emotionally distressed Marine admirably.  His harsh expressions and dialogue makes the audience genuinely concerned as to whether he is mentally stable or if the burden of an almost unspeakable past has left him permanently damaged.

Arguably the best acting in the film came from Sam and Grace’s two daughters, Isabelle (Bailee Madison, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh) and Maggie (Taylor Geare, Four Christmases).  Madison in particular plays her character fantastically in a scene where during dinner, she lashes out at her father’s new persona and claims she would rather spend time with Uncle Tommy.

If there is one criticism of the movie, it is that the plot takes too long to develop and there is not enough action.  The entire movie essentially consists of building pressure so that it can detonate into one intense climax.  While one may have to be a little patient, the wait is not unbearable and the movie does a good job at maintaining the viewer’s interest and excitement throughout its entirety.  However, the film is not suited for young children and weak-stomached adults, as there are a handful of horrific events that occur while Sam is being imprisoned in Afghanistan.

In the previews, Brothers may look like an action-packed war movie, but while the plot is certainly centered around the War in Afghanistan, it would be wrong to label it as a war movie.

Instead, Brothers is a well-done movie that does a great job of detailing the troubles and hardships that a tragedy-stricken family is forced to endure.