It what already looks like a very crowded September for DVD and Blu-Ray releases, Paramount Pictures announced today, "Thor" will be making it way to Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray and DVD, and in a 2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo with Over 80 Minutes of Revealing Content, Including an Exclusive Look at Marvel's The Avenger. "Thor" makes it way to shelves on September 13th.

Press Release:

Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures comes a unique and compelling twist on the Super Hero genre with the out-of-this-world warrior THOR, debuting on high definition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD September 13, 2011. Called "spectacular" (USA Today), "thrilling, entertaining and cool" (Ain't It Cool News) the phenomenal screen debut of the legendary God of Thunder took audiences by storm, earning more than $440 million at the global box office. When the arrogant god is banished to Earth from his home world, Asgard, and then pursued by the darkest forces of Asgard, he must learn what it takes to become a true hero in this exhilarating story that "delivers epic fireworks" (Rolling Stone). Featuring an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, stunning visual effects and explosive action sequences, THOR wields outstanding entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.

The THOR three-disc set includes the film on Blu-ray in high-definition 3D and on high definition 2D, as well as on standard definition DVD with a digital copy. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes a high definition presentation of the film, plus a standard definition presentation with a digital copy. Both sets come fully loaded with 80 minutes of immersive bonus materials including an exclusive special feature that goes deeper into the Marvel Universe, a sneak peek into Marvel's The Avengers, an unprecedented look inside the world of director Kenneth Branagh and much more.

THOR Blu-ray and DVD specs

The THOR Blu-ray Discs™ are presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The digital copy is presented with an English Audio track. THOR will also be available as a single-disc DVD.

Another Marvel Comics hero finally breaks his way out of the Hollywood prison known as development hell! Getting us increasingly more pumped up for the long promised “Avengers” movie, “Thor” makes its presence known with thunderous abandon. Now like many comic books, “Thor” is yet another I haven’t read, so I can’t say how true it is to its origins. However, judging from the great Kenneth Branagh’s handling of the material, I imagine it’s very respectful and true to its source.

Heeding closely to classic Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder and heir to the throne of Asgard. But on the day of his ascension, the Frost Giants end up invading the planet’s deeper regions to retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters, their source of power. They are easily defeated, but their violation of the truce put together between them and Asgard seriously pisses off Thor. Against his father’s wishes, he and his fellow warriors journey to the Frost Giants home planet of Jotunheim to keep some frosty ass. Odin however intervenes, and infuriated with his son’s arrogance, strips him of his powers and banishes him to Earth. For a warrior such as him, this does feels like a nasty insult.

First off, I got to say that I really liked the way Branagh handled this material. In the wrong way, this could have easily become high camp which would have been highly enjoyable for all the wrong reasons. But he takes all the characters and places they inhabit seriously, and infuses all of them with a strong humanity that defines them more than their place in the universe. Even the villains are remarkably complex as their corruption results not so much from a need for power but for a father’s love and approval. Of course, with Branagh directing, you can count on many Shakespearean references throughout (Iago from “Othello” and “King Lear” come to mind), and they are a perfect fit for this story.

I was also very impressed with how well Branagh handled the visual elements of “Thor.” The last time he made a movie heavy with special effects was “Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein,” but he seemed a bit out of his league there. Perhaps we should not be impressed as this movie of course has a budget that’s at least $100 million (not counting advertisement costs), but they key thing here is that effects succeed in being an extension of the characters instead of just dwarfing them completely. Then again, that giant creature the Frost Giants unleash on Thor immediately had Liam Neeson screaming in my head:

“RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!”

As Thor, Chris Hemsworth (who played Captain Kirk’s father in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek”) owns the role right from the moment he walks onscreen. He clearly revels in portraying the great power he possesses, and he is a gentleman when the situation calls for it. Seeing him as a fish out of water on Earth also makes for some splendid moments which are slyly comic. I’m also glad that Thor is not just another character who doesn’t want to be “the one,” conflicted about the things he is destined to do. With Chris, you know from the get go that he is fully aware he’s “the one” and owns that knowledge to where you feel his impatient eagerness to prove it to the universe. Instead of Anakin Skywalker as a whiny teenager, Chris gives us a powerful warrior worth cheering for and who learns from his mistakes.

As scientist Jane Foster, Natalie Portman’s casting in the role seems like such a no brainer. We know from her off screen life that she is a remarkably intelligent human being, so she doesn’t have to prove to us that she can be believable as a scientist. She sparks instant chemistry with Hemsworth (damn those six pack abs!!!), and that shy smile of hers kills me every single time. Right now, she appears to be overexposed since her deserved Oscar win for “’Black Swan,” but I’m not complaining about that in the slightest.

Then there’s the great Sir Anthony Hopkins whose portrayal of Asgard’s king and father to Thor, Odin, is in a word gallant. This is especially the case with the opening narration which he recites with such depth that it makes all other actors who’ve done it before him sound like they were sleepwalking their way through it. While many may think that this is one of those roles that Hopkins could do for an easy paycheck, it’s really one of the best performances he’s given in awhile and is a step up from such dreck like “The Rite.”

Tom Hiddleston plays Loki, Thor’s brother and the movie’s other main villain. What I liked about Tom is that he does so much more than give us a one-dimensional character. Much like Joaquin Phoenix’s character from “Gladiator,” Loki feels slighted by his father as he prefers another man over him, and he becomes eager to prove himself in the worst way possible. Hiddleston makes Loki into a character that is more spiteful than hateful, and this makes his eventual fate seem all the more tragic in retrospect.

There are other strong performances throughout this blockbuster affair to enjoy as well. Rene Russo, where have you been? Idris Elba makes a memorable Heimdall, and it never seems like a small part with him playing it. Kat Dennings steals a few scenes as Darcy Lewis, Jane’s co-worker whose science is more political than astronomical. And Stellan Skarsgård remains a dependable actor as always playing scientist Erik Selvig, a character who may play a more important role in the future.

Having said all that, “Thor” felt like it could have been more exciting than it was. It doesn’t quite have the same invigorating sweep as some of Branagh’s Shakespeare adaptations like “Hamlet” or “Henry V,” and it does feel like it takes longer to get to the action than it should. It’s not quite as entertaining as “Iron Man,” but I would rank it above “The Incredible Hulk.”

Still, there is much to like about “Thor,” and Branagh has done the best job anyone could have to bring this comic book hero to the big screen in such respectful fashion. It also benefits from excellent casting, especially Chris Hemsworth who looks like he came out of the womb a warrior with a heavy hammer in his hand. This is one of the few times where “getting hammered” will sound more like a threat than an embarrassing state of drunkenness.

Word of advice, be sure to stay through the end credits. I’m sure many of you already planning to do that knowing how the “Iron Man”’ movies and “The Incredible Hulk” ended, but I do feel the need to remind you. Also, don’t’ bother seeing this in 3D. Once again, the image is frustratingly dark and there’s no real need for an extra dimension. Save yourself some money and see it in 2D instead.

2D version: * * * out of * * * *

3D version: * * out of * * * *

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the winners of the 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards earlier this evening. The star-studded ceremony was held at the Hollywood Palladium and aired live on VH1. "The Social Network" was named the year's Best Picture and David Fincher won Best Director honors for the film.

Other big winners of the night included Colin Firth, who took Best Actor for his role in "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman, who won Best Actress for her role in "Black Swan." Also honored were Christian Bale with the Best Supporting Actor award and Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress both for their work in "The Fighter."

Best Action Movie went to "Inception," while Best Art Direction and Best Editing went to "The Social Network." "The Fighter" was honored with Best Acting Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay honors went to David Seidler for "The King's Speech." Best Young Actor/Actress went to Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit." "Toy Story 3" won Best Animated Feature and Best Comedy went to "Easy A."

Distinguished actor and humanitarian Matt Damon was honored with the fourth annual Joel Siegel Award presented by Emily Blunt and Jimmy Kimmel. The BFCA created this award to honor those in the film community whose actions demonstrate that the greatest value of celebrity is the ability to do good work for others. This award pays homage to beloved "Good Morning America" film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his struggle with cancer in June, 2007.

The 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards also included a special nod to iconic film director Quentin Tarantino, who received the inaugural Critics' Choice Music+Film Award, presented by Tim Roth and Ice Cube. The all new Critics' Choice Music+Film Award was created to honor a single filmmaker who has not only inspired moviegoers with his cinematic storytelling, but has heightened the impact of film through the brilliant use of source and soundtrack music.

Nominees in attendance included: Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Duvall, Jesse Eisenberg, Elle Fanning, Colin Firth, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Jon Hamm, Nicole Kidman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa Leo, Julianne Moore, Mandy Moore, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Mark Ruffalo, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, Jacki Weaver, Hailee Steinfeld and Michelle Williams.

Presenters at the gala included: Hank Azaria, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Ice Cube, Jesse Eisenberg, Jane Fonda, Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Rob Huebel, the Kardashians (Khloe, Kim), Jimmy Kimmel, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Joan Rivers, Tim Roth, Paul Scheer, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Spacey, Emma Stone and Sofia Vergara.

The show featured Maroon 5 as this year's house band. In addition to entertaining the audience throughout the awards ceremony, the band gave a special red carpet performance during the live pre-show, and also performed "Stuck in the Middle with You" from the movie "Reservoir Dogs." Keri Hilson also performed "Son of a Preacher Man" during the Critic's Choice Music+Film Award tribute to Quentin Tarantino.

For the show's best moments, acceptance speeches, red carpet photos and interviews and a complete list of winners visit criticschoice.vh1.com.

IFC Films recently put out the official trailer and poster for "The Other Woman", starring Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow.

The radiant Natalie Portman (CLOSER, BLACK SWAN) lights up the screen in this frank, funny, and heart-wrenching adaptation of bestselling author Ayelet Waldman's novel about life, loss, and family directed by Don Roos (THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, HAPPY ENDINGS).

Emilia (Portman) is a Harvard law school graduate and a newlywed, having just married Jack (Scott Cohen, THE UNDERSTUDY), a high-powered New York lawyer, who was her boss -- and married -- when she began working at his law firm. Unfortunately, her life takes an unexpected turn when Jack and Emilia lose their newborn daughter. Emilia struggles through her grief to connect with her new stepson William (Charlie Tahan, I AM LEGEND), but is finding it hard to connect with this precocious child. Perhaps the most difficult obstacle of all for Emilia is trying to cope with the constant interferences of her husband's angry, jealous ex-wife, Carolyn (Lisa Kudrow).

"The Other Woman" is available On Demand and hits theaters on February 4th.

"The Other Woman": Official Trailer

JESUS CHRIST!!! That was my immediate reaction after witnessing Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” a movie I have impatiently been waiting to see for ages. A combination of “The Wrestler” and “Requiem For A Dream” with a dose of “Rosemary’s Baby” thrown in for good measure, it is a brilliantly over the top psychosexual thriller that continually ratchets up suspense and tension all the way to its horrifying climax. And unlike Mia Farrow’s character in “Rosemary’s Baby,” Natalie Portman has a really nice haircut.

Just as it was with “The Wrestler,” “Black Swan” serves as an expose sorts on the athletic arena it focuses on. The backstage world of ballet dancing is highly competitive to say the least, and the career of a dancer can easily be short lived if an unexpected injury however small occurs. Many may see ballet as being very boring and would rather tune into Monday Night Football. Try dragging kids to a production of “The Nutcracker” and watch how they run for the hills. This is the reaction I get from most people I know, although I’m sure there are exceptions.

But don’t let any preconceptions about ballet turn you off though from seeing this film. It is anything but boring, and both Aronofsky and Portman brilliantly capture the physically and psychologically draining aspects of ballet to where you feel as wiped out and crazed as they are. Like any other art form, ballet demands years of training in order to reach a level of “perfection” that few can reach. It is also shown to be an isolating career because with so many people going after the same lead role, making friends is a struggle as you wonder what they say behind your back. With the bitterness level sky high, ballet threatens to be more damaging psychologically than physically.

Natalie Portman plays Nina Sayers, a member of a prominent New York City ballet company. After years of hard work, she gets her lucky break when she snags the lead role in the “Swan Lake,” a show that is as overdone as many of Neil Simon’s plays. This show has one of the most coveted roles in any ballet show as it is incredibly challenging. She has to play the White Swan who is a creature of innocence, and also the Black Swan who is one of a sensual and dark nature. Basically, it is the ballet dancer’s “Hamlet.” While her director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) thinks she is perfect as the White Swan, he has doubts about her ability to play the Black Swan in that she is so technically precise in her movements, and the latter role requires her really lose herself in the passionately dark nature of her character.

Once we see Nina walk down the streets of New York past a woman who looks exactly like her, we are caught up in a downward spiral that she is helpless to stop. We watch as she encounters people and situations that feel real, but which later turn out to be nothing more than hallucinations. There are times where she even looks like she is turning into a swan. While they may sound ridiculous on paper, it is brilliantly conceived visual from the rash on Nina’s back to those blood red eyes she develops. There are even points where Nina is dancing in front of a mirror, and her reflection turns around to glare at her malevolently.

The line between what is real and what is not becomes completely blurred, and neither we the audience nor Nina are able to tell the difference between the two. Many may be maddened at not being able to understand all that’s happening, but that’s precisely the point. Aronofsky’s puts you directly into Nina’s mindset which is already at an emotionally fragile place, and we are instantly caught up in her mental disintegration. This makes “Black Swan” all the more visceral to experience. We are not just watching Nina go mad, we feel like we are going mad with her.

Natalie Portman truly does give the performance of her career here. She trained in ballet for a year or so, and her preparation has truly paid off. Throughout, she captures the sweet nature of her character as well as the paranoia and resentment that overwhelms Nina the closer she gets to the opening performance. Watching her practice to no end is emotionally exhausting as it is for her physically, and she makes us feel like we are right on the edge of disaster with her. Natalie has always been an amazing actress, but her work in “Black Swan” represents the culmination of a great career that is more than ready to head into adulthood (she can’t be the sweet girl forever folks).

Mila Kunis, looking even sexier than she did in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” co-stars as fellow dancer Lily. Unlike Nina, she is free with her body and mind, and what she lacks in precision she makes up for with unbridled passion. She’s at times friendly, wanting to break the ice between her and Nina, and her power of seduction is one Nina desperately wants to capture for herself. Mila has really become an increasingly fascinating actress, and seeing her go from sweet to a cold back stabber of a human being is made very believable by her work.

Oh yeah, there is a sex scene between Natalie and Mila which will have people checking out “Black Swan” for all the wrong reasons. Then again, any reason to get people to see this film might not be so bad. Anyway, to dismiss this as a simple lesbian sex scene will only show how short sighted you are.

Aronofsky again employs his frequent collaborators to excellent effect here. His director of photography Matthew Libatique almost makes this look like a remake of “Suspiria” as the colors become overpowering as they get blacker and infinitely more vicious. “Black Swan” is as much a sensory experience as it is a psychological one, just like “Requiem For A Dream.” Matthew makes the special effects appear seamless in scenes where CGI is clearly utilized. As the background dancers pass by her, Nina sees her face in all of them. It’s so eerie that it doesn’t even seem like a special effect.

Then there is the fantastic Clint Mansell whose work on Aronofsky’s movies has become like a main character. Clint takes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and breathes fresh life into it that is exhilarating to listen to. His score becomes as intense as the images we see on screen, and I love how visceral and thrillingly alive it all feels. Of course, because he used previously written music, the Academy has ruled him ineligible for an Oscar nomination (that sucks!). Maybe the Oscars should consider a sub-category like Best Adapted Score in the future.

The movie also offers great performances from actresses we don’t see as much as we used to: Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey. Winona is making a strong comeback with supporting roles here and in “Star Trek.” Clearly, she understands the frustration her character of veteran dancer Beth MacIntyre is going through and captures her deeply hurt and excessively bitter character perfectly. At once an empathetic and pathetic person, we see she has lived for ballet, and now that it has been cruelly taken away from her, she has little else to devote her life to. To be placed on a pedestal so high only to be yanked from it leaves her with nothing but desperation and deep self-loathing that is hard to dig oneself out of.

As for Barbara Hershey, she remains a phenomenal actress as she has been for so many years. In movies like “A World Apart” and “Portrait Of A Lady,” she has created indelible female characters that are never easily forgotten. Her role in “Black Swan” is no exception as she takes the clichéd role of stage mother and makes her a loving person as well as an overbearing one. When we see that she failed at a dancing career herself, it becomes frighteningly clear how much of her happiness is based on how successful her daughter is at hers.

“Black Swan” continues to show how brilliant a director Darren Aronofsky is as he mixes up different genres to create one hell of a movie going experience. Natalie Portman’s magnificent performance really is one for the ages, and few other characters have been as physically demanding as Nina. Even as things get more and more horrifying, Aronofsky keeps yours focused on the screen to where looking away from it would feel like a crime. Is it more intense than “Requiem For A Dream?” No, but it sure does come close!

One thing’s for sure, this will not be a good recruiting film for dancers. They’ll want to go into accounting or dentistry after seeing this one!

**** out of ****

We recently got ahold courtesy of Fox Searchlight, the official poster and trailer for Darren Aronofsky latest film "Black Swan"

Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

The film stars Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey.

"Black Swan" hits theaters on December 1st.

"Black Swan": Official Trailer

Brothers is Jim Sheridan’s remake of Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish film of the same name, and it continues his long fascination with families torn apart by war and strife, and of how they fight their hardest to keep it all together. It stars Tobey Maguire as Sam Cahill, a Captain in the United States Marine Corp who is about to be sent off for another tour of duty in Afghanistan. Before he goes, he picks up his young brother Tommy (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who just got released from prison after a sentence for armed robbery. Despite their differences, they are as close as brothers can be, even if their father (the always reliable Sam Shepherd) clearly values one over the other. But then things get completely turned around and not necessarily for the better.

When Sam’s helicopter crashes in foreign territory, he is assumed dead. No one even bothers to tell Tommy right away, which shows you the respect he has compared to Sam. But you know from there that he will eventually bond with Sam’s wife Grace (the always lovely Natalie Portman) and her two adorable girls Isabelle and Maggie (Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare), and that Tommy and Grace will get more intimate with each other than they should.

But surprise, surprise, Sam turns out to be alive after having been tortured physically and mentally by militant forces. Thanks to a decision made a la Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice, Sam makes it back home to his loving family, but he’s not the same. Full of anger and self-loathing, he becomes distant from everyone around him and has no idea where or how to channel his anger. Soon, he becomes obsessed with going back to Afghanistan to do another tour of duty as he feels that he can still be of help over there. But what’s worse is that Sam begins to think that Tommy has slept with Grace, and his paranoia becomes all too consuming to where reality is just far too difficult to face.

If you have seen the trailer for Brothers already, then you will pretty much get the structure of the film as its beginning, middle, and end parts are clearly defined with only the end being unpredictable. Overall, the movie feels like an average melodrama with the brothers being inseparable, the parent valuing one child over the other, etc. I have seen a lot of movies like this, so the aura of familiarity feels all too played out for me to get completely involved with what’s going on here. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Brothers in the way it treats war and the damage it can do to soldiers and the families they come back to. I guess I just wished that Sheridan had brought more to this remake than what has been done and overdone with the aftermath of war.

Don’t get me wrong though; Brothers is by no means a terrible movie. Director Sheridan does a very good job of giving everything a very down to earth feel which draws us much deeper into the story. With a movie like Brothers, this is especially important. The majority of the action takes place in an everyday American town that does not feel all that different from the ones we grew up in. That air of realism keeps the movie from being completely average, and I do want to acknowledge the effort the filmmakers put into it.

But the major strength of Brothers that really makes it worth watching though is the acting. All three main actors are superb in roles you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in. Jake Gyllenhaal is surprisingly good as the rough and tumble Tommy when you consider that he has mostly been typecast as the good guy in Hollywood. Then again, this is the same actor who played Donnie Darko, a character who flooded an entire school and set Patrick Swayze’s house on fire, so you got to give him that. Jake never overplays the character here, and he manages to keep Tommy from seeing like a stereotypical criminal who is not the heartless thug certain people make him out to be.

Seeing the ever so radiant Natalie Portman here is a scary reminder of how horrifically stiff she came off in those Star Wars prequels (thanks a lot George Lucas!). From a distance, she looks too young to take on the role of a mother of two. I mean, as Princess Amidala she did give birth to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but her character died just after giving birth, so does that still count? Oh well, it doesn’t matter because Natalie does the kind of excellent work we have always come to expect to her. She handles the complexities of her character with utter skill, and never do we see her acting. Natalie inhabits Grace and gives her strength and inescapable vulnerability in the midst of a tragedy she hoped to never experience first hand.

But the best performance in Brothers clearly belongs to Tobey Maguire who takes his character from a loving father and patriotic soldier to a mere cinder of his former self. When we see him come back from a war everyone thought he perished in, Tobey succeeds in making Sam Cahill a very frightening presence whose change in personality escalates the tension in everyone around him. Like an unstable piece of nitroglycerin on the verge of exploding if you shake it just a little, we stand at attention, knowing he will eventually explode and hope that the damage won’t be too severe. Maguire is a very long way from Peter Parker and Spider-Man with this one, and he once again proves there is more to him than that iconic character (which he won’t be playing anymore anyway).

Furthermore, all three stars are surrounded by a great cast of stellar actors. Sam Shepherd makes roles like the father seem ever so effortless for him to play, and while his is a predictably clichéd character, he still imbues Hank Cahill with a real humanity that is strongly felt. It’s also always great to see Mare Winnigham as Hank’s wife Elsie, and she continues to be one of those underrated actors who never fail in doing fantastic work in one project after another.

However, I really have to give special recognition to the two child actors Bailee Madison & Taylor Grace Geare who give amazingly unforced performances as the young Cahill daughters. I keep talking a lot about certain kids who give performances that are far beyond what we could typically expect (Max Records from Where The Wild Things Are for example), but these two girls come across as so natural to where (like Natalie) you never catch them acting. Bailee Madison makes an especially strong impression as Isabelle, particularly in the scene where she intentionally irritates her dad whom she no longer recognizes.

Indeed, there are a lot of strong things about Brothers, and Sheridan remains a director great at capturing the dynamics of families struggling to get past a swift change that upsets their entire balance of living. I really want to give it a solid recommendation, but the movie still feels overly familiar, and it pales in comparison to so many other movies of its type. The movie’s climax seems a little too simplistic given what we have witnessed, and it feels like it ends long before it should have as if it were cut off at the halfway point. I wanted to see a little more of the aftermath, but what we get instead is something much too convenient that doesn’t resolve the conflict completely.

Brothers does make for a good rental based on the performances alone, but in retrospect, I don’t think that I missed too much by not seeing it in a movie theater.

**½ out of ****