An Exercise In Nonsense

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

First of all sorry for my broken English. I have to say something about this movie. Spoiler ahead. As I said, the movie is more than good but what I want to bring to viewers attention is just one scene. Liberation of the Scotish photographer. I'd never, never NEVER!!! expect what I've seen. I almost lost my breath. It's probably one of the best military action ever recorded in any movie. I'm talking about video. What makes it absolutely unforgettable (for me) is audio behind it. From the moment when choppers door close with marines in it, there is no actual sound...but there is a song. And who put that song with what is going on the ground is pure genius. Never...never in a million years, I'd expect that combination.

This movie is another one from the lazy mind chain that we simply have started to refer to as 'Hollywood' nowadays. I could digest some of the American jingoism paraded recently in all their sci-fi movies, but when you are delivering something about a region torn by American hegemonic war of 16 years (and counting), the jokes about Afghan men humping donkeys as a joke just brings bad taste in the mouth.The movie is based on the memoirs of a news journalist (real life Kim Baker book ' The Taliban shuffle') who is reluctantly pushed in the war torn Afghanistan to cover the media news coverage. Tina fey stars as the main character. I'm not particularly fan of Tina fey and her pretending to put a girlish vibe in her 40's just doesn't cut it. The western women are presented as some sex deprived nymphs with lines of "when your p** starts eating your leg after 2 months then tell me". Really are women in west so thirsty after 2 months?. Almost half the movie is filled with partying of women, drinking, trying to be adventurous or just delivering nasty one liners to men about urinating in the open or becoming bold every time with false bravado. (seriously?)Characters don't really seem to give any heed to the country they are trying to cover OR the poor people they are supposed to be looking out as foreign 'saviours'. Afghans are portrayed as someone belonging to neolithic period and so is the country. As a consultant who has visited Afghanistan around the same period, I can safely say that all the caricatures developed here are utter nonsense and denigrating to the country's state as many of the amenities available in a developed society are available in Afghanistan's bigger cities. Same is the depiction of Chinese brothels in Afghanistan and lines uttered about 'Taliban punishing men whose under hair used to curl on their sticks(!)' (spoken by some high profile Afghan senator) which is another unverified account.In reality what the movie overlooks completely how American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan are living in one of the highly sophisticated luxury affairs that any soldier can dream nowadays. Hollywood depictions of how American system is better than others by taking puns on other cultures are coming off as fake and repetitively boring.

I have given this a rating of 1 in order to leave a review however even a score of one is unworthy for this poorly played out film. This film portrays journalism and armed forces as drug using, sex addicted simpletons. We found this highly offensive given the fact that we have lost family members to war and know that they never took drugs or went to war to take part in wild sex orgy's. It makes a complete mockery and disgrace of any of the armed forces worldwide. If you are looking for a factual true to life film about journalism in Afghanistan then I would highly recommend city of ghosts, if you are looking for a film that documents true events of soldiers giving their lives to protect their countries then give Hacksaw Ridge a watch you won't be disappointed. I would rate them both 10/10 for their true to life depictions of war from either side. If you are someone who has lost a family member to war I would not recommend watching this messed up attempt at showing the life of soldiers or journalists who are out there facing conflict in these war torn countries.

(Flash Review)Someone should have asked the question if this movie should be a comedy, a war film, a documentary, a drama or a romance as it excelled at none. This actually could have been a compelling stand-alone drama even with a 2nd tier romance thrown in if it had to. Tina Fey is usually very funny but the jokes in this were quite lame. Combine lame comedy with some brutally real war action and a stupid rom/com storyline simply didn't work. The plot is Fey's character is a local news reporter moderately thrust into becoming a battleground journalist in Afghanistan. Knowing nothing about war zones, she boldly jumps into the world, avoids some enemy fire, interviews dangerous leaders. Will she make it big nationally? Will she make it back at all? Will she find a lasting romance at home or abroad? This movie also has the WORST, in my opinion, music used during a battle scene. It just failed. It really took me out of the tense and dangerous scene; it ruined the scene for me.