Green Zone

A complicated subject matter boiled down into a simple action adventure, conspiracy, goodish vs. evilish movie that would have benefited from a bit more story.

Paul Greengrass reteams with Matt Damon (both did the last two Bourne movies) to give us Green Zone, a story of one man trying to discover the truth about the reality of WMDs in Iraq while “the man” tries to keep him down for the greater good. If you liked the Bourne movies, you may not necessarily like this.  It’s about the gazillionth (ok, about sixth) attempt to strike box office gold with an Iraq war story.  This isn’t it.

THE SETUP:
Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) has repeatedly led his squad into hostile territory on orders to find WMDs. The search isn’t going well as the weapons don’t exist. (I’m not giving anything away here if you’ve been paying attention to the news for the past 7 years). Fed up with failure, Miller tries to get to the bottom of where the bad Intel is coming from and what the real agenda of his government is.  The path is covered with those that want to help (Brendan Gleason as a CIA agent), those that don’t (Greg Kinnear as a high-level government advisor) and those who want the real story to be reported back home (Amy Ryan as a reporter).

THE THOUGHTS:
This movie would have been sooooo much better had it been released about 2-3 years ago when the Iraq War was a bit more on the public’s mind.  Sad but true. The issue whether there were or weren’t weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and the reasons the U.S. went into Iraq have already really been played out in real life so there aren’t many surprises here. There have already been a few movies and documentaries on the war, and done better (Hurt Locker, Black Hawk Down) so this seems really out of date.

The characters in this all seem to be voices.

• Matt Damon (what the public should have been like at the time) – what the “F”?
• Greg Kinnear (government) – greater good, doesn’t matter how we got here.
• Amy Ryan (media) – we went with it because the government said they were there and now we feel all bad inside and used.
• Khalid Abdalla (Iraq) – what the hell are you guys doing here and why are you making things worse?

Each actor plays their part well if not predictably. Matt Damon, the catalyst for the movie, is very point A to point B.  Not a lot of acting range needed for the situation but he gets the movie where it needs to go.  Brandon Gleason and Amy Ryan are fantastic actors with not a lot to do here besides repeating how “this is all bad and stuff” and “we were all so naïve.” Greg Kinnear seems to relish the asshole role he’s given but the real stand out to me is Khalid Abdalla as “Freddy,” an Iraqi citizen just trying to look out for his country.  Passionate, disappointed, frustrated, overwhelmed. A great role and I hope to see him again in something.

The story was too basic.  There felt like there should have been more.  More explanation, more story, more characters, more information.  Just more. The simplicity is a negative when you’re telling a story we already know, have already been angry about it and moved on.  Why should we care now?  This movie wasn’t necessary.

GREEN ZONE RATING:

1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone. If you’re looking for a straight up war movie, than you will be entertained.  If you’re looking to learn something or feel something, not the movie for you.  Sorry Green Zone, too little too late.

Rating system:

½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Coming Attractions:
TRON Legacy (release date: December 17, 2010) – I’ve mentioned it before, I’m a kid of the 80s. So until they remake WarGames, I’m giddy for this sequel to TRON. They’ve brought back the original two actors Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner, used the latest in CGI and added 3-D. Oh and Olivia Wilde is in it who’s a special effect all by herself. So sweet your eyes will get diabetes.

Random Recommendations
Flash of Genius (2008) – Greg Kinnear is a small time inventor who comes up with the intermittent windshield wiper. Seems simple enough. Except that the car companies stole his idea and gave him no credit and no cash. A great story of perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds and the cost of that determination.  True story to boot.

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) – if you want amazing stories of injustice and wrongs needed to be right, check out this documentary on the U.S. policies on torture during the Iraq War. A young Afghan cab driver is picked up by U.S. soldiers and detained and interrogated for no just cause…leading to an in depth look at the tortured, the torturees and those that didn’t want to know about it, just results. This will make you angry.

Capitalism: A Love Story

The usual Michael Moore schtick – timely information, heart-felt personal stories, delivered in an entertaining approach, and Moore’s huge ego.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be horrified, you’ll still be tired of Michael Moore.

After becoming the most successful documentarian of all time through films like Roger & Me (1989), Bowling for Columbine (2002) and Sicko (2007), the “voice of the everyman” (if the everyman was worth a couple million dollars) tackles the horrors of capitalism, the U.S. economy and the road to its current ruin.

The Setup:
Capitalism is bad.  Democracy is good.  What the hell happened?  That’s pretty much it.  Citing since the Reagan era, the U.S. economy has embraced capitalism as the new religion.   Through visits with poorly paid airline pilots, families being evicted from their foreclosed homes, and “delinquents” jailed for cash, Michael Moore gives us a picture of how decisions made by the rich and powerful keep them happy and the rest of the 99% poor.

Stretching about two hours, Moore tries to start a revolt within his audience by laying out what’s wrong, how we got there, and what we need to do to change things.  Unfortunately the people that go to Michael Moore movies tend to pump their fists at the screen…until the credits finish rolling and they go home.

The Thoughts:
Are you going to like this movie?  Well, that depends.  Have you liked any of Michael Moore’s movies?  You say yes, then you’ll like this.  “Capitalism” is as much a vehicle for his ego as it is about telling the story.  But, his story is pretty good.  Though he talks to you through a voice over like you’re 3 years old and too dumb to understand what the grownups are talking about, he does hit all the right notes – sad families in sad situations and the “evil” men that put them there.  This time around, it’s more about inciting riots and rebellion than going for the laughter (the previous “hahaha, oh how our health care/gun control/government suck”).

I really enjoyed the movie’s message but found my mind wandering a few times.  It’s hard to be completely engrossed when it’s about our neighbours and not our backyard.

Capitalism: A Love Story Rating:

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend.  As a Canadian, it’s probably an easier film to watch but it doesn’t make it any less shocking.  An important movie that would only be made better if Michael Moore didn’t narrate or star in it.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Coming Attractions:

Pirate Radio (or the Boat that Rocked) – A fun, anti-establishment, 60s, rock n’roll movie.  On a boat.  Directed by the guy that did Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral so it’ll be quite heavy on the sappy.  On the other hand, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Nick Frost (of Shaun of the Dead) + music of the Doors and Led Zeppelin + authority asskicking = yes please.

Randomly Recommended

Taxi to the Dark Side – Keeping in the theme of shocking docs, this was recommended to me by two completely random people in a short period of time.  WOW.  This documentary about torture practices in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay by U.S. interrogators will freak you the hell out.  Corruption, complicity, water boarding and death.  I think I went on a date like that once.  WATCH IT!

Glengarry Glen Ross – So you want a movie about capitalism?  I know a few people that just can’t like this movie.  I ask them to try again.  The cast is unbelievable – Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Jack Lemmon.  Come. ON!  With one of the best monologues from Baldwin in any movie, check out this story of cutthroat salesman and remember to Always Be Closing.  Sorry, had to.