PersianPlaya408
Director Irwin Winkler's look at post-war life for several Iraq war veterans, is neither totally convincing nor entertaining. Despite having some powerful scenes, which raised some good points from a psychological and political perspective, the film failed to paint a realistic picture, which allowed the audience to truly position itself in the shoes of the characters. As I watched the film I did not entirely believe Samuel L. Jackson or Jessica Biel's character, and both were unconvincing, especially Samuel L. Jackson who had some very good moments, but due to a lacking script, went over-the-top at times. (Brian Presley) was not bad, but having 50 cent in this film was a casting catastrophe. They should have made better choices in the casting, but then again, there was a lot of other flaws in making this film, which I admit, is a tough type of film to make, but this just felt rushed and not enough precision an effort put into producing, writing and creating an original and realistic film about post-ware life.I thought the cinematography, editing and music did very little to help matters a just didn't engage me throughout the film. The opening sequence which takes place in Iraq is almost a joke, as at times It felt like it was in East LA, now I don't know where they filmed it, but that's not a good way to start off a film. Overall this film had potential but was a misfire in my book, and had it not been for a few good scenes, moral arguments and okay acting (at times), it would get an even lower score from me. 5/10
kid-finley
I just Finished watching this film on pay TV and i think it was a very emotional and powerful piece of film making. Its hard reading some of the negative comments on here, particularly to do with the Characters. I personally feel all the actors performed very well in the portrayal of these Soldiers returning home from Iraq.I think many people would be confused with these characters because essentially the characters themselves are confused with who they are and what they have returned too. The film itself seems at times alittle unstructured but this is the point. These characters have returned home from service and are completely unstructured in a very emotional way, being haunted by the memories of Iraq.Many reviews say the war scenes are cheesy and badly down, but this is NOT a War film, it is a drama based around characters that have experience many different emotional and physical scars from war.The pace of this film at times is slow, but this reflects the slowness of the Characters adjusting to their lives, which are not new to them, but have changed due to their experiences.The only negative thing i would draw out of this is that the Cover does not reflect what this movie is about. It make it look like an action war film, which this film certainly is not.Verdict I really enjoyed this film, it was a deeply emotional film to watch and was in my mind simply beautiful. Beautiful characters trying to deal with a life they once new so well, adjusting back into the life they went to protect.If you want to feel something from a movie and particularly from a host of raw characters, i recommend you watch this.9/10
Siamois
Direction, acting, production values... everything here is decent. Yet, this movie is as stale as can be. The primary fault lies on an unoriginal story that refrains from controversy. But there are so many clichés and following of conventions here, that it becomes extremely difficult to care or to enjoy plot developments that are heavy-handed and telegraphed to the audience.And as much as the dramatic scenes at home lack punch, I must say the scenes back on the battlefield felt totally uninspired. Like something you would tack on a b-movie.Some tremendous performances, or a last script brush might have saved the film from being a forgettable one but alas, everybody here seems content to go through the motions. In the end, the fault lies primarily on poor writing and unengaged direction.I applaud Irwin Winkler for attempting to tell a story without relying on Hollywood action and by concentrating on the drama surrounding the characters. Unfortunately, the drama here is not really good and even though movies like Stop-Loss and Lions for Lambs have more distracting plot treads, they nonetheless nail better dramatic moments and have us care about the characters a little more.
nate spindler
Hollywood almost got it right this time. Along with The War Tapes and Combat Diary: The Marines of L Co. I could hear my words, my friends' words, and those of their loved ones coming from the actors' and actresses' mouths. The way the characters have trouble fitting back in and the relief they show when meeting someone from their unit is very true to life. I really liked how Mrs. Marsh gave it right back to her husband about how nerve-racking it is to be pining for a spouse's return. Also, how LTC Marsh defends his son's right to free speech, then grounds him and tells him he doesn't have to read a newspaper since he's been to Iraq. I've been telling people for years how the majority of journalists hate America and the troops, and opt to print partial truths and outright lies instead of telling a true story. I'm relieved to see that even Hollywood acknowledges it now. There are some glaring errors, (fully automatic M16s, poor convoy route choice, berets that look like soufflés, missing unit patches and crests, all of the vets came back screwed up, sparse overacting or not quite "nailing it", etc.) but it hits some rather intricate details perfectly (correct prescription names and symptoms, perfect situations that cause frustration, overall difficulty fitting back in, etc.) I really enjoyed this movie, bought it, and have watched it again. Well done.
AD
