So, the thing linking my last post to this one (besides them being among my favorites) is that they both happen to be movies made in the late 90s about things that happened in the early 90s, in this case the end of the first Gulf War. It stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze as a group of soldiers out to steal Saddam Hussein's gold from the surrendering Iraqi army, coincidentally gold they stole from Kuwait. Written and directed by David O. Russell, this film has a sort if gallows humor, an abrasive visual style, a sense of cynicism and a dash of optimism.
Of course the plan isn't that simple as the soldiers soon find themselves caught in between the Iraqi army and the rebels who stood up against Saddam, believing they would have American support, but not getting any. Some of the best scenes in this film result from the cultural clash between our heroes and the Iraqi rebels, there's a recurring argument about what CD to play on the car stereo on the way to the battle that is hilarious. Also, I love the way the American soldiers' higher ups are in this movie, especially comical as they search for the missing soldiers even as behind them a group of vehicles rolls out to go help our thieves. Nora Dunn is also especially memorable as Adriana Cruz, an embedded reporter working to find a story in the aftermath of the American victory. Also memorable is this interrogation scene between Mark Wahlberg and Said Taghmaoui...
I think what I like about this movie is the manner in which it portrays our own confusion about American foreign policy sometimes, the way we set out to do good, but end up mired in confusion and what we can do. It's cynical, but funny, unlike so many boring ass political movies that have come out in recent years that clearly have an agenda. I don't mind you having an agenda, filmmakers, I mind having to watch your boring movie. That's why this film succeeds where a lot of others fail because it's actually entertaining, down to the Lexus versus Infiniti arguments.
Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know.
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