Action SYNOPSIS: A band of soldiers led by Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) go into a surreal, corrupted Irag after the war has gone into a ceasefire. They go to steal a gold bullion from Saddam's hidden bunkers but instead they find themselves confronted with their own humanity. At this time of the war George Bush promised the Iraqi people that if they rebelled and attempted to take control away from Suddam Hussein he would help them in their fight. Surprise, he lied. Many joined the rebellion and were left to the mercy of Saddam's soldiers. Use and abuse them was the policy. One misadventure leads to another until they are unfortunately faced with hard realities. These five men on their quest for gold, develop hearts that go out for these Iraqi people especially after witnessing Iraqi soldiers kill a mother in front of her child and husband. At this point they all break the ceasefire. The story becomes an obvious action film but the human interest part of the movie is what elevates it above just an action film. I guess when people get invovled in a war we forget that the enemy is also human and they suffer as well. One important segment has Troy Barlow captured by one of the characters who lost his wife and one year old son in a bombing. The scenes where Troy tells him of his wife and child is excellent. The director puts in scenes of Troy's wife and child dying in blasts. This is in his mind as he envisions the possiblity. Even though the soldier threatens his life, Wahlberg shows us that he feels a guilt and an empathy for his captor even though he knows that torture is instore for him and then death. Director, David O. Russell puts in many scenes like this to make us feel what the four soldiers of fortune begin to feel. Needless to say they decide to help the rebels because they begin to see them as real, living, breathing human beings and not some unseen enemy. The director also makes use of excellent "overexposed" photography and other odd stylistic touches such as grainy and slow motion photography that really helps enhance the film. Some people may say the the film cops out from it's gritty war roots but I do not feel that it was the point of this film. It has to do with the awakening of five men who finally realize that war is not all glory but it is about real people. I think that it succeeds in this while still showing us exploding helicopters. The film has heart and plenty of entertainment value. It is well worth the money and the time. I enjoyed it and you will as well. I'll end this with a quote from George Clooney: "As an audience, if I step back and watch it, it's pretty gruesome violence. It's also the most responsibly violent movie I've seen in a long, long time. David's thing was every bullet counts. You don't just see the effect of a gun going off, you see what it does to your body. Literally, your insides. You see what it does to the family. You see everything." |
Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Nora Dunn Directed by David O. Russell Written by John Ridley, David O. Russell Produced by Paul Junger Witt, Charles Roven Distributed by Warner Bros Rating USA... R for graphic war violence, language and some sexuality Rating Canada... AA violence, language and sexuality Read Another Review Of This Film Read Still Another Review Of This Film |
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