I enjoyed this in the same way I enjoyed Blackhawk Down or the original Die Hard.
It's a gripping keep you on the edge of your seat action flick with tension up the wazoo, which is a very interesting place to have tension.
In the final analysis, I don't think it is much more than that, which is fine by me. I think I gave that away with my reference to Die Hard. I like me some chewing gum for the noggin now and again.
Okay, so here goes nothin.'
I doubt this film gets an Academy nod if it's directed by a dude.
Did they really have to get Babra Steisand to give Kathryn Bigelow the statue?
Did Babs really have to clutch herself after opening the envelop and say, "our time has come!" Before announcing the winner? Doesn't that take the woman's victory and make it sort of patronizing?
I also suspect Hollywood thinks it pulled a little fast one here.
The film depicts the Iraq war as hell, so I suspect they believe the film has a veiled anti-war anti-GW Bush administration message. If it did, it certainly wouldn't bother me, but if they're thinking what I think they're thinking and I think they are, I think that's a bit of a stretch.
There is a tiny little particle in the film about how all of the regular normal guys want to get home and out of that dukie storm ASAP while the main character, who is presented as a screwed up adrenaline junkie, can't hang back at the homestead and feels he needs to get back in the flying shrapnel to get his next fix so he signs up for another round.
I'm pretty sure I've seen this character before in other (anti) war movies like Deer Hunter and Coming Home.
The message behind this, of course, is that only someone who is seriously whacked would want to do anything other than get out ASAP.
Take THAT, GW!
But, I think Hollywood also winks and ducks behind the idea that this is just a character study, just a slice of life exploration of one guy's screwed up psyche.
Yeah, okay.
Maybe they're happy to have a woman direct the type of film guys have made and see it as a sign of progress and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe they're happy that the anti-war stuff might be subtle enough that they might be able to get all of those pro-Iraq War hawks into the film and then slide the anti-war stuff into their subconscious before they know what hit 'em.
Who knows?
Basically, I just thought it was a well made action film and it held my attention right through to the closing credits. That's plenty for me.
War is hell? Yeah.
Sane people want to serve their duty and get home safe? Yeah. Not really earth shattering revelations.
In other words, I liked the flick, but I also think it is getting some serious overhype.
Like, I would never nominate Die Hard for best picture.
Know what I mean?
It's a gripping keep you on the edge of your seat action flick with tension up the wazoo, which is a very interesting place to have tension.
In the final analysis, I don't think it is much more than that, which is fine by me. I think I gave that away with my reference to Die Hard. I like me some chewing gum for the noggin now and again.
Okay, so here goes nothin.'
I doubt this film gets an Academy nod if it's directed by a dude.
Did they really have to get Babra Steisand to give Kathryn Bigelow the statue?
Did Babs really have to clutch herself after opening the envelop and say, "our time has come!" Before announcing the winner? Doesn't that take the woman's victory and make it sort of patronizing?
I also suspect Hollywood thinks it pulled a little fast one here.
The film depicts the Iraq war as hell, so I suspect they believe the film has a veiled anti-war anti-GW Bush administration message. If it did, it certainly wouldn't bother me, but if they're thinking what I think they're thinking and I think they are, I think that's a bit of a stretch.
There is a tiny little particle in the film about how all of the regular normal guys want to get home and out of that dukie storm ASAP while the main character, who is presented as a screwed up adrenaline junkie, can't hang back at the homestead and feels he needs to get back in the flying shrapnel to get his next fix so he signs up for another round.
I'm pretty sure I've seen this character before in other (anti) war movies like Deer Hunter and Coming Home.
The message behind this, of course, is that only someone who is seriously whacked would want to do anything other than get out ASAP.
Take THAT, GW!
But, I think Hollywood also winks and ducks behind the idea that this is just a character study, just a slice of life exploration of one guy's screwed up psyche.
Yeah, okay.
Maybe they're happy to have a woman direct the type of film guys have made and see it as a sign of progress and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe they're happy that the anti-war stuff might be subtle enough that they might be able to get all of those pro-Iraq War hawks into the film and then slide the anti-war stuff into their subconscious before they know what hit 'em.
Who knows?
Basically, I just thought it was a well made action film and it held my attention right through to the closing credits. That's plenty for me.
War is hell? Yeah.
Sane people want to serve their duty and get home safe? Yeah. Not really earth shattering revelations.
In other words, I liked the flick, but I also think it is getting some serious overhype.
Like, I would never nominate Die Hard for best picture.
Know what I mean?
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