War Machine

A tragic mess. A film that catches a thousand flying shrapnel with a leaky net. Not a character study, not a chilling drama, not a scathing satire, a little crazy comedy, a little politics of war, a little bit of seriousness, a little good acting and a lot of unease, awkwardness and unglued statements that contradict each other. Paradoxically, it constantly arouses curiosity by constantly changing moods, positions and tones, but the unraveling frustrates in the wrong way. Michôd tries to capture the emptiness of the war machinery, but his film is as off as the big-mouthed general in question. (2017-06-14)

The movie's not stupid at all. On the contrary, I’d say that the genre disunity was largely deliberate, and for most of the runtime it corresponded quite well with the script's ironic and sharp commentary on the American military involvement in Afghanistan. I more or less agree with the ideas, yet I was often bothered by the extremes to which Michod goes within the confines of comedy – especially when it comes to the performances of Ben Kingsley as the imbecilic and backward Afghan president and, unfortunately, Brad Pitt, who, while you can see him breathing for the film, doesn't come across as a real person with his deliberately overacted creation, but rather as a stylized caricature. The last half-hour also relies on a very solid dramatic build-up, which is again toppled by a Hollywoodesque light-hearted conclusion. This had greater potential, though it can't be called a dud. (2017-06-27)

A big-budget TV movie with Pitt in the leading role. Excellent as war satire, but Michôd is afraid of going all the way. Drama and comedy alternate willy-nilly, but in the end, nothing much happens. Maybe I am handicapped by living in this country (CZ) where McMahon’s behavior (apart from the fact that he really wants to do something) is treated as standard amongst politicians. But I certainly want to read the article that started it all. (2017-06-24)