Near foot-perfect

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2010)

This movie was a unique twist on the romantic chick-flick sentimental film that men only ever seem to see because their girlfriends force them to, then sit and groan about how awful sitting through the movie was for them for days afterwards.
This movie was eloquent, gorgeous, and a classic tale of what life in America is truly like for her children. I think that critics and some viewers often have difficulty digesting movies like this one because it does not provide either a happy ending or a rose-colored view of the impact the military has on young men.
The only part of this movie I did not appreciate was that the director was not from the U.S. I felt like that was a note I did not appreciate, because the movie is so distinctly an American story. The note of irony and judgment that this outsider's perspective created was the only note in this entire symphony of a movie that I found not merely off, but off-putting.
I also found it more difficult to accept the criticism of the U.S. military and its decisions, command structure, isolation, and tragedy because it so clearly came from somebody who was incapable of truly grasping the reasons behind the choices that the members of the military have made, wrong as they might be.
The men in this film actually seemed fairly real, with flaws and selfish moments and times of startling generosity and honesty. The lead male was a GUY, not always understanding towards his autistic father and entirely capable of acting out and imperfection and fear of inadequacy and bad decisions.
The army segments felt very real to me. That aspect made the film devastating for me, thank God, because it's been a while since I've seen a devastating movie.
This movie was not a chicks' movie, which was startling at first but quickly struck me as a welcome break from the emotionally impoverished films I'm used to being told have been developed for my age group and gender. The characters fell into negative patterns in their lives, made decisions for the most unselfish reasons and watched their good intentions crumble into dust.
This movie really exposed the way gender can impact the ways that we conceive the world, and can cause us to make decisions that seem insane to an outside observer, particularly one of the opposite sex. John rejoined the military in spite of his doubts because he did not want to let down his country or look weak in the eyes of the military men who had obviously long doubled as his family. Savannah married the man who was capable of being around and who "needed" her, in spite of the fact that her heart didn't want him. I have seen so many men and women in my life struggle with similar decisions. I really appreciated that insider's look into the difficulties we face in interpreting what is true through emotions which have been shaped by the military-industrial complex. The complex sees us as consumers and potential cannon fodder and baby-making machines, not as human beings whose souls and feelings matter; the industries attached to war benefit from us being unhappy.