Rating of
3/4
Eastwood Has Magic Up His Sleeves
Franz Patrick - wrote on 02/17/08
I actually enjoyed this a bit more than "Letters from Iwo Jima" because it felt more personal. Familiar faces are abound such as Paul Walker, Jesse Bradford, Ryan Phillippe and Jamie Bell. I guess it's because I grew up watching their films. The story is just heartwrenching and it made me rethink of my ideals regarding wars. Scenes when the Indian American character suffered a breakdown really got to me because even though he was a "war hero," he was still treated as a lesser equal. The battle scenes made me want to look away but couldn't because I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. The cinematography is exquisite; looking at it is almost like listening to poerty or admiring a timeless painting. The nonlinear presentation made this film all the more powerful because each necessary piece of the puzzle is hidden under more complex layers. It's a joy to watch because I didn't feel like I watched a two-hour movie at all.
