Fellow Movie Lovers

Fellow Movie Lovers

GREEN ZONE…..

Is the guarded and protected area in central Baghdad which contains the palaces of Saddam Hussein. Currently referred to as The International Zone.

If your political persuasion lies far to the left, you will love this film; if on the other hand you are at the diametrical opposite pole of the political spectrum, you will detest it.

This review is for the vast population constantly vacillating or wandering in the field of moderates, libertarians, philistines or dreams.

Iraq, 2003, searching for the WMD’s, weapons of mass destruction; great concept, portraying the disillusionment of one Chief Warrant Officer, Roy Miller (Matt Damon) as each site proves fruitless and his frustration with his superiors and the US government

escalates; unfortunately this worthwhile and innovative idea was saturated with sensationalism, half truths, fiction clothed as nonfiction. The audience for two hours was battered and bound by manipulation and proselytism.

On the heels of the academy award winning “ The Hurt Locker” one could not help but draw comparisons. The intrinsic brilliance of “The Hurt Locker” was that is was a movie about war, totally devoid of politics. The audience watched and learned without having to judge, or vote; regardless of the “whys” we were in Iraq, and we breathlessly lived every perilous second as each bomb was successfully or unsuccessfully defused. The bravery and selflessness of these soldiers was monumental and forever redefines the meaning of the word Hero!

Director Paul Greengrass and his cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (who also shot “ The Hurt Locker”) and actor Matt Damon (immensely flawless and believable as Roy Miller) have birthed at the marathon level action unseen since the “Bourne” films. Napping, anathema, during its entirety, so if it is action you crave, you’ll be over indulged.

Greg Kinnear is credible as the pusillanimous Pentagon lackey, prodigiously spinning the WMD’s fallacy. Brendan Gleeson as the CIA analyst, Martin Brown, does a passable job of making the CIA uncharacteristically, look good.

This is an uncomfortable film. There has not been enough time or history to look with passionless perspective at the catalytic events of the last nine years. The film and its creators flavored the fantasy with enough truth for the audience to ask, “ haven’t we seen enough of these actual devastating events in the media?.” “Do we need this?” A resounding NO!

TWO STARS! (Out of Five)

FOR Now…………Peneflix