Everwood

The second one of the three projects Smith is a part of is Whirligig, an independent drama by Chaz Throne with Smith as a young man who hits rock bottom and returns home to live with his parents. He find comfort with his married neighbor, and when he befriends the woman’s adopted 12-year old Vietnamese son, family secrets are revealed (THR).

The last of the projects is yet another independent feature entitled Conception, written and directed by Josh Stolberg. The story follows nine couples as they grapple with sex, love and pregnancy. Smith enters a relationship with a divorced woman (Julie Bowen) who has a child (THR).

The picture is penned by Borderline writer David Loucka with Brothers director Jim Sheridan taking the reins. Producing the picture is Daniel Bobker, Ehren Krueger, David Robinson and James G. Robinson under Morgan Creek. You can still watch Weisz on the big screen along with Saoirse Ronan and Mark Wahlberg in the Peter Jackson big screen adaptation of The Lovely Bones.

Producing is David Robinson, Ehren Kruger, Daniel Bobker and James G. Robinson all under Morgan Creek Productions. The distribution will be handled by Universal Studios as principal photography commences in February in Toronto. Naomi Watts can next be seen in the latest Woody Allen directed and written feature You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.

In the flick Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is called on to do another tour of duty in Afghanistan, leaving his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and his two daughters home to fend for themselves. Not long after he arrives in Afghanistan, Sam is involved in an accident and presumed dead. His criminal brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) decides to try to straighten up his life and works hard at being there for his brother’s wife and daughters during this difficult time in their lives. Only, Sam isn’t dead at all, he is being held as a prisoner of war and enduring a multitude of torturous acts at the hands of his captors. Miraculously Sam makes it home, but he’s not the same man he was when he left.

The marketing of the flick made it seem like a love triangle movie, but it’s actually about the emotional trauma brought on by war. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I connected with this movie. Like I said, I don’t usually dig flicks involving Afghanistan or Iraq and I really don’t identify with remakes either. This particular flick had both strikes against it. I haven’t seen the original flick, Brødre by writer/director Susanne Bier, but after seeing Brothers I’m going to check it out as soon as I can.

Director Jim Sheridan did a fine job with this story and he picked a fine cast as well. All of the actors dialed in solid performances, but for this reviewer it was Tobey Maguire that stood out. He lost a lot of weight for this flick, he played a character that I’ve never seen him play before, a character that demanded your attention every time he was on screen. Brothers is a solid picture and a welcome break from all the drivel I’ve been seeing lately.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The film is set to be directed by Jim Sheridan, who’s current exploits are Brothers, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, and Black Mass, a terribly vague film, both due this year. Next year he’s set to finish Emerald City, focusing on the Irish Mob in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

Writer David Loucka is also on the case, who’s only real milestone is Eddie, the Whoopi Goldberg movie.

Aside from the writer, the decent director and the phenomenal Daniel Craig more than compensate. The choice of a psychological thriller for Craig can’t possibly go wrong, can it?

Source: FirstShowing.net