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CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
Documentary ‘Brothers at War’ is Heartfelt But Narrow in Scope
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 1:03pm
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Isaac Rademacher and director Jake Rademacher.
Photo credit: Conor Colwell/Samuel Goldwyn Films
‘Brothers at War’ was directed by Jacob Rademacher. It opens in Chicago on March 13th, 2009 at the AMC River East and AMC Cantera 30. It also opens today in Columbus, GA, Fayetteville, NC, Jacksonville, NC, and Washington, DC, expanding to 20 additional markets on March 27th, 2009. It is rated R.
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 Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The market has been flooded with documentaries about the failure of the Iraq War, which makes the arrival of a human story about real people on the ground something notable and refreshing. Sadly, Jacob Rademacher’s “Brothers at War” is as myopic as any piece of “left-wing propaganda” about the failure of the war, missing both the big picture and the human one due to its filmmaker’s refusal to ask the dark questions.
“Brothers at War” is Jacob Rademacher’s film (Executive Produced by Gary Sinise) primarily about his two brother’s time in Iraq. Jake realizes that no research is going to fully give him the knowledge of what it feels like to be on the ground, so he heads overseas to try and walk a mile in his brother’s shoes.
Isaac Rademacher and director Jake Rademacher.
Photo credit: Conor Colwell/Samuel Goldwyn Films
Jake was given complete access to his brother Cpt. Isaac Rademacher’s Surveillance Company near the Syrian border in Iraq. For the first half of “Brothers at War,” we learn about the details of life spent looking through a scope in the heat of the desert. Men are sent to watch parts of the border where they think the enemy may be crossing. They spend days and nights looking for movement.
 Photo credit: Samuel Goldwyn Films |
The early section of “Brothers,” as Jake talks to people on the ground in Iraq, watches “The O.C.” with them, and learns about how to take a bathroom break in the middle of nowhere works.
After his first “deployment,” Jacob comes home with a better understanding of what his brother Isaac has gone through and is still experiencing in Iraq, but he has another brother who has seen a lot of combat and gunfire and that one remains unimpressed. Almost as if to show his bro that he can handle combat too, Jake goes back to Iraq.
On his second trip, Rademacher sees a lot more intense action. He spends time with snipers, chases after the enemy, and even ends up in an enemy battle that most of us pray we will never be anywhere near.
And that’s the question that Jacob never asks his brothers or even himself. Most of us want to be as far away as possible from enemy gunfire. Why do Jacob and his brothers go in the other direction? Even ignoring the political issues at play with this particular war, there are personal questions that are never asked or answered.
The impetus for making “Brothers at War” is clearly heartfelt, pure and apolitical and I admire Jake for trying to be a part of something that so many others simply write about. However, that admiration doesn’t extend to the success of the final product.
As a practical examination of life on the ground in Iraq, “Brothers at War” is interesting and well-made, but there could have and should have been more to it. Joseph’s girlfriend talks about how much angrier her beau has been since his time in Iraq and how he doesn’t like it when she cries.
Issues like that and how much Isaac misses his family come up briefly but you can feel Jacob moving on quickly, getting back to the “action” instead of spending time with the emotion. I understand that trying to get deep into the mentality of a soldier, especially your brother, in front of the world might be difficult, but if “Brothers at War” had taken the time to do that it could have been a truly excellent film.
The practical “what” of “Brothers at War” is very interesting but it’s half-a-film without the “why” of what these men are doing on the ground. Jacob Rademacher does a great job of walking a mile in his brother’s shoes but fails to get inside their heads.
 | By BRIAN TALLERICO |
The "failure of the war"?
Your criticism of this film seems to be that its not “anti-Iraq war” enough, because it doesn’t ask “dark questions”. -As if a film that portrays people actually killing other people needs more darkness?
You said that the film doesn’t focus enough on the ‘failure’ of the Iraq war. But isn’t that YOUR opinion of the war, rather then those fighting it?
Isn’t this story told from the perspective of those guys over there?
Haven’t people like yourself told us that the war is a failrure for 5 years? Heck, two years ago, we were told that the war was lost by many democrats in congress, including our current commander-in-chief. Yet; a dictator was ousted, Iraq has had its first democratic elections ever, and our military is helping Iraq get rid of the people who would rather foment violence rather then vote.
From what I understand, this film tells THAT story… one that disappeared from the focus of the media as quickly as the violence decreased. Isn’t that an important story too?
Wait… that’s right… I shouldn’t be asking those particular “dark questions”.
Out of Context
John,
You completely quote me out of context. Let’s get the whole phrase, shall we?
“…as myopic as any piece of “left-wing propaganda” about the failure of the war…”
Ignoring my political opinion of the war, which I think I did in this review, the phrase above clearly (at least I thought it was clearly) means that I equally disapprove of what you would call “liberal” films that focus solely on what they perceive as the failure of the war. As you do. Where are we disagreeing there? And yet you grab four words and think you know something about me politically.
As I make clear in the review, the dark questions that Jacob fails to ask have nothing to do with my personal opinion nor yours. They are in relation to the personal toll of killing another human being, whether you believe that killing to be justified or not and if the film is about people on the ground, that personal toll needs to be addressed for the film to work, in my opinion as a critic. It has NOTHING to do with my politics or feelings about the war in general.
Your use of the phrase “From what I understand” implies that you haven’t even seen the film. And yet you’re willing to judge both its success and my political leanings from one phrase in a review.