Opening

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—— A Green Story May 24
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Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
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100% The Kings of Summer May 31
89% The East May 31

Brothers (Brødre) (2004)

tomatometer

89

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 72
Fresh: 64 | Rotten: 8

This tense, understated drama explores the complications of individual and social ethics stemming from the repercussions of war on one man and his family.

92

Average Rating: 7.8/10
Critic Reviews: 26
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 2

This tense, understated drama explores the complications of individual and social ethics stemming from the repercussions of war on one man and his family.

audience

82

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 3,901

My Rating

Movie Info

Two brothers unwittingly exchange roles under the fog of war in this powerful drama. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) and Jannick (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are two brothers who have always meshed as well as oil and water. Michael is a caring husband and father who risen to the rank of major in the Danish Army, while Jannick is an alcoholic with a violent streak who has been in and out of prison much of his life. Jannick has just been released after serving time for armed robbery when Michael learns he's being

R,

Art House & International, Drama

Anders Thomas Jensen

Sep 20, 2005

$0.2M

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All Critics (83) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (8) | DVD (10)

Bier, honored as an Emerging Master at the Seattle International Film Festival this year, is clearly a director to watch. In her hands, a story that could become melodramatic is gripping and heartbreaking.

June 24, 2005 Full Review Source: Seattle Times
Seattle Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

At its core, Susanne Bier's wrenching portrayal of the shifting dynamics within a Danish family is really about survival, about how we cope in the face of shattering grief and what we'll do -- anything, really -- to save ourselves.

June 10, 2005 Full Review Source: Miami Herald
Miami Herald
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A profoundly affecting movie, one in which our sympathies lie with everyone.

June 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Arizona Republic
Arizona Republic
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Feels like an amalgam of newsreel and stage drama, but with the most potent aspects of both art forms.

June 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Washington Post
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Keeps itself floating above the suds thanks to Bier's crisp and lively visual design, the general loveliness of her cast ... and her attention to small moments of arresting domestic authenticity.

June 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Toronto Star
Toronto Star
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A powerful, brutal, funny, tragic, vibrant, very human movie.

June 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Strong performances and scenes of the father's imprisonment in war camps make for tense viewing.

November 7, 2012 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia
Empire Magazine Australasia

if every film I see is as satisfying a complex human drama as this, I wouldn't have much to gripe about.

September 18, 2007 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com
Filmcritic.com

Un drama familiar intimista y bien actuado sobre los efectos que puede producir un trauma en la vida de las personas, y sobre la oportunidad de cambiar.

March 4, 2007 Full Review Source: Uruguay Total
Uruguay Total

A poignant reminder that social issues, in the end, are personal matters.

February 22, 2007 Full Review Source: Film Journal International
Film Journal International

Audience Reviews for Brothers (Brødre)

One brother, recently released from prison, befriends his brother's wife, while the latter is believed dead in Afghanistan.
We watch no film in a vacuum. The films we've seen in the past inevitably affect how we view new films. In this case, I couldn't help but compare the original Danish version of this story to the American remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman. All three American actors have turned in good, sometimes great, performances in other work, but I found the American version staid and uninteresting.
Now, I compare that to this film. The performances by Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Ulrich Thomsen, and Connie Nielsen are far and away better. Even on the most superficial level, Kaas looks like a fuck-up brother while Thomsen's maturity and political commitment resonate his every move. The final climactic moments hold more suspense and engender more fear because Thomsen's emotional decay is a more extreme inner torment and his physical stature is more demanding than anything that Tobey Maguire could inspire.
There are almost no differences in the stories, but the way the original is told, by actors who are truly right for their parts rather than Hollywood stars trying to fit into unwilling molds, makes Brothers compelling drama.
As much as I liked this film, especially in comparison to its flaccid American cousin, the story is still littered with "must-happens," in Super Reviewer Alice Shen's words.
Overall, Brothers proves that a clone is never as good as the original.
November 27, 2011
hunterjt13
Jim Hunter

Super Reviewer

Incredibly compelling take on the consequences of war and how it affects the family, in particular the relationship between the two brothers. Contains a great performance from Ulrich Thomsen and and the brilliant Connie Nielsen. This is film making at its absolute best, just a shame Bier doesn't do more films-I must check out the rest of her filmography If you enjoyed this check out After The Wedding another great film by Susanne Bier.
November 28, 2006
SarahG1988

Super Reviewer

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Foreign Titles

  • Brothers (Brodre) (DE)
  • Brothers (UK)
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