I'm quite reluctant to criticize this movie because I basically agree with every sentiment it expresses. I just wish it could express them with more grace, style and subtlety. The movie makes some very valid points about the American political system, patriotism, the so called War on Terror, the lack of engagement of youth and the comatose subordination of the American media. Most of which I agree with. And yet it left me utterly cold and disengaged.
To summarise briefly, the movie consists of essentially 3 scenes; a senator's office in DC (representing the establishment), a college professor's office in California (representing the liberal element) and a mountain top in Afghanistan (representing active engagement). In Afghanistan, two unfortunate, brave recruits are lying injured and waiting for rescue. The scenes take place in real time; in other words, it's all supposed to be happening in parallel.
The senator, Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise), in his impressive office, is disclosing an exclusive on a new Afghan military "Push", to a veteran reporter (Meryl Streep), the college professor Malley (Robert Redford as a political scientist) is trying to engage the interest of a cynical, bright young student who has given up studying because it's all so pointless, and the two buddy soldiers have just fallen - or jumped - from a damaged helicopter which came under attack in the Afghan mountains, as it took part in the "Push". The senator is trying to justify the military action, mostly to promote his own career, while Streep's reporter is wrestling with her conscience. She is supposed to meekly lap up this scoop she is being given and report it uncritically, as a good patriotic American and one whose career is on the downhill run, coasting towards oblivion in a world obsessed with triviality and junk. When, she wonders, did the media roll over and become the poodle of the government?
In the meantime in California, Professor Malley engages in a battle of words with his clever, cynical and privileged student Todd, telling him of two equally bright but financially challenged minority students who left college the previous year to join the army, so as to experience for themselves the sharp end of the War on Terror. The movie is at pains to question the War on Terror and the people who facilitate it, without dissing the poor grunts on the ground. It makes the point and it's a valid one - that many of the people who protested the Vietnam War a generation before, had actually fought in it because they were forced to by the Draft. With no universal draft to dodge, why should the 21st century's self-obsessed kids be interested in a war being fought a dozen time zones away, especially when they are fed a constant diet of escapist pap by the media? At least the two buddies now dying in Afghanistan were trying to actively engage with the issue.
It certainly wasn't the performances which were at fault. They were mostly excellent. I especially loved Tom Cruise as the senator; he was so perfectly insincerely sincere. It's easy to forget what a good actor he actually is, when so much of what we see of him is ..well .escapist media pap. I will never tire of watching Meryl Streep, whom I have worshipped for 30 years, Robert Redford was Robert Redford, does he ever play anyone else? The guys who played the two soldiers were convincing and as for Andrew Garfield who played Todd, I see dozens of him every day here in California, he had the character to a T.
So why do I feel so negative about this movie? Because it's really not a movie at all. This is stage play looking for a theatre. I am certain if I'd seen this at my local Rep., with a good cast and some inventive and lively direction, I'd have walked out of the theatre feeling I'd seen something excellent and thought provoking. I can see the set in my head, the stage divided into 3 zones, lit in turn as we cut from scene to scene, the trapped soldiers at the very front, close to the audience, where we can see their agony as they wait for death. It would make riveting and tense theatre in the right hands and could be very moving. And in the context of live performance, it would be much more politically relevant, and could even seem quite daring.
But as a movie it just turned me off, I felt battered to insensibility, there wasn't an ounce of subtlety to it, far too wordy, worthy and preachy. And if Redford as director is trying to get his message over to the youth of America, this is not the way to do it. This is preaching to the converted. Disengaged kids are not going to turn out in droves to see Meryl Streep and Robert Redford on a Friday night. I'm sorry, but they are just not.
And as for the Afghan mountain set, with its atrocious lighting, fake snow, lame pyrotechnics and polystyrene boulders, it reminded me of early Star Trek episodes, where the rocks bounced off the actors. You can get away with minimalist, representational sets in the theatre. In fact, they are positively encouraged, so we can concentrate on the performances. But live theatre and a movie are two different animals, and here it just had me groaning at the cheapness.
My husband loved it. Hmmmm.
To summarise briefly, the movie consists of essentially 3 scenes; a senator's office in DC (representing the establishment), a college professor's office in California (representing the liberal element) and a mountain top in Afghanistan (representing active engagement). In Afghanistan, two unfortunate, brave recruits are lying injured and waiting for rescue. The scenes take place in real time; in other words, it's all supposed to be happening in parallel.
The senator, Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise), in his impressive office, is disclosing an exclusive on a new Afghan military "Push", to a veteran reporter (Meryl Streep), the college professor Malley (Robert Redford as a political scientist) is trying to engage the interest of a cynical, bright young student who has given up studying because it's all so pointless, and the two buddy soldiers have just fallen - or jumped - from a damaged helicopter which came under attack in the Afghan mountains, as it took part in the "Push". The senator is trying to justify the military action, mostly to promote his own career, while Streep's reporter is wrestling with her conscience. She is supposed to meekly lap up this scoop she is being given and report it uncritically, as a good patriotic American and one whose career is on the downhill run, coasting towards oblivion in a world obsessed with triviality and junk. When, she wonders, did the media roll over and become the poodle of the government?
In the meantime in California, Professor Malley engages in a battle of words with his clever, cynical and privileged student Todd, telling him of two equally bright but financially challenged minority students who left college the previous year to join the army, so as to experience for themselves the sharp end of the War on Terror. The movie is at pains to question the War on Terror and the people who facilitate it, without dissing the poor grunts on the ground. It makes the point and it's a valid one - that many of the people who protested the Vietnam War a generation before, had actually fought in it because they were forced to by the Draft. With no universal draft to dodge, why should the 21st century's self-obsessed kids be interested in a war being fought a dozen time zones away, especially when they are fed a constant diet of escapist pap by the media? At least the two buddies now dying in Afghanistan were trying to actively engage with the issue.
It certainly wasn't the performances which were at fault. They were mostly excellent. I especially loved Tom Cruise as the senator; he was so perfectly insincerely sincere. It's easy to forget what a good actor he actually is, when so much of what we see of him is ..well .escapist media pap. I will never tire of watching Meryl Streep, whom I have worshipped for 30 years, Robert Redford was Robert Redford, does he ever play anyone else? The guys who played the two soldiers were convincing and as for Andrew Garfield who played Todd, I see dozens of him every day here in California, he had the character to a T.
So why do I feel so negative about this movie? Because it's really not a movie at all. This is stage play looking for a theatre. I am certain if I'd seen this at my local Rep., with a good cast and some inventive and lively direction, I'd have walked out of the theatre feeling I'd seen something excellent and thought provoking. I can see the set in my head, the stage divided into 3 zones, lit in turn as we cut from scene to scene, the trapped soldiers at the very front, close to the audience, where we can see their agony as they wait for death. It would make riveting and tense theatre in the right hands and could be very moving. And in the context of live performance, it would be much more politically relevant, and could even seem quite daring.
But as a movie it just turned me off, I felt battered to insensibility, there wasn't an ounce of subtlety to it, far too wordy, worthy and preachy. And if Redford as director is trying to get his message over to the youth of America, this is not the way to do it. This is preaching to the converted. Disengaged kids are not going to turn out in droves to see Meryl Streep and Robert Redford on a Friday night. I'm sorry, but they are just not.
And as for the Afghan mountain set, with its atrocious lighting, fake snow, lame pyrotechnics and polystyrene boulders, it reminded me of early Star Trek episodes, where the rocks bounced off the actors. You can get away with minimalist, representational sets in the theatre. In fact, they are positively encouraged, so we can concentrate on the performances. But live theatre and a movie are two different animals, and here it just had me groaning at the cheapness.
My husband loved it. Hmmmm.