Difficult and Important

Rating: 8/10 (19 March 2018)

Stone has never been big on subtlety, & Born on the 4th has its moments of projection & overtness. Mostly though, it's a powerful, epic & overwhelmingly emotional journey into a soldier's psyche. The breakdown scene in the family's house is one of the all-time greats in cinema: heartbreaking, frustrating, enraging, & even uncomfortably funny. Cruise has never been better, covering as many emotions & head spaces as the film does, all while staying fully within the singular character