Directed by Jim Sheridan

Cinema

It’s always difficult to come up with something script wise that we haven’t seen before when it comes to films. In this case it’s familiar territory. Never the less it does make you think, which is due to the great performances from its three main stars especially Tobey Maguire as US Marine Captain Sam Cahill who finds himself on active service in Afghanistan.


His helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead and indeed back in snowy New Mexico in the USA they have a funeral or perhaps one should say tribute as there is no body.

Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal) Sam’s brother a no hoper turns his life around and gets closer to Grace (Natalie Portman) and the rest of the Cahill family.

Guess what, Sam returns having been traumatised as a prisoner of war. His getting back to normal and the affect it has on his family is the basis of the film. There is a classic dining scene where you could cut the atmosphere with a knife and Sam finally flips. My dominant thought was why are we still fighting wars in the 21st century?

3 stars