Brødre (2004)

Two brothers must negotiate changing roles and shifting family dynamics when one is sent to war in Afghanistan.

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writers:

Susanne Bier (story), Anders Thomas Jensen (story)

Stars:

Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Connie Nielsen

13 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Connie Nielsen	...	Sarah
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Michael
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Jannik
Sarah Juel Werner	...	Natalia
Rebecca Løgstrup	...	Camilla (as Rebecca Løgstrup Soltau)
Bent Mejding	...	Henning
Solbjørg Højfeldt	...	Else
Niels Olsen	...	Allentoft
Paw Henriksen	...	Niels Peter
Lars Hjortshøj	...	Preben 2
Lars Ranthe	...	Preben 1
André Babikian	...	Nadeem
Lene Maria Christensen	...	J. Solvej
Laura Bro	...	Ditte
Henrik Koefoed	...	Bartender

Storyline

Michael has everything under control: a successful military career, a beautiful wife and two daughters. His younger brother Jannik is a drifter, living on the edge of the law. When Michael is sent to Afghanistan on a UN mission the balance between the two brothers changes forever. Michael is missing in action - presumed dead - and Sarah is comforted by Jannik, who against all odds shows himself capable of taking responsibility for both himself and the family. It soon becomes clear that their feelings have developed beyond mutual sympathy. When Michael comes home, traumatized by being held prisoner in the mountains of Afghanistan, nothing is the same...

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Plot Keywords:

afghanistan | prisoner | husband wife relationship | mental breakdown | gun | 

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Taglines:

From the Director of 'Open Hearts'

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

IFC Films Official Site [Denmark]

Country:

Denmark UK Sweden Norway

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Brothers

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,161, 8 May 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$384,982, 14 August 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Two Brothers Ltd., Fjellape Film AS, Memfis Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There's an American remake of this movie entitled Brothers (2009) starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman.

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Goofs

During the argument in the girls' room before the funeral, the time on the alarm clock in the background jumps ahead by several minutes between shots.

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Quotes

Michael: I will always love you. That is the only truth that remains. Life is neither right nor wrong, good or bad. But I love you. That's all I know.

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Connections

Remade as Brothers (2009)

User Reviews

Brother there art thou?

Now Danish movies are beginning to really hurt and Susanne Biel is a good runner-up to Lars von Trier. This is about the Danish mayor who is believed to have fallen in Afghanistan. It's about his daughters, his wife and most of all his brother, the no-good who's temporarily (?) out of prison and has too (?) good contact with the mayor's wife.

The acting is good and the conflicts heavy. But they aren't that heavy that you feel alienated. Why can you watch action movies there people are killed all the time and don't mind it? Because it has nothing to do with your life. This movie has, although the situations are extreme, but in a completely other way.

Well worth seeing.