Harrowing and bold look at the life of a Marine

Rating: 8/10 (18 August 2015)

Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty (1999), takes a step into the war genre with this Gulf War-set war movie, based on the autobiography by Anthony Swafford. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Swafford, a young man from Sacremento, who enlist in the U.S Marine Corps in the late 1980s. Surviving through boot camp under the ruthless Drill Sergeant Sykes (played by Jamie Foxx), Swafford makes it out as a sniper, and he and his unit are stationed in Saudi Arabia. With the 1991 Persian Gulf War erupting, Swafford and the unit are plagued with personal issues such as homesickness, humiliation, abuse, frustration, and fear of girlfriends' infidelity. This is until Operation Desert Storm breaks out and the unit find their chance to finally get the taste of what war is really all about. As explained in the movie, Jarhead is the slang term for a Marine.
Jarhead is not quite your typical war movie, this war is more of a comedy than an combat action-heavy film. Many war movie fans may be disappointed as this movie revolves more on how war affects the main character as well as his fellow marines than soldiers engaging in violent, bloodshed combat, with very few scenes of actual combat on screen. I was a little disappointed in some ways. Unlike most war films, the plot in this one focuses on what soldiers do when they're not in active combat. While the plot is okay, it could have been better written. There are various points in the film where the plot seems to stumble. For the most of the first half, we are treated with scenes of Marines sharing conversation about their sexual experiences, watching pornographic videos, pulling pranks on each others, comparing girls, sneaking booze and throwing wild parties. It very realistically portrays the daily lives of Marines off the battlefield. Jake Gyllenhaal's character is develops so well throughout the film, and you see as how the war begins to change him. The scene when has a mental breakdown towards one of his fellow marines gives a clear demonstration of how war begins consuming him. Gyllenhaal's performance was good, and Jamie Foxx did alright as well. I can't say their performances are Oscar-worthy though. One major flaw with this film is that it lacks emotional investment, and so while the characters' emotions are evident, they don't feel real or engaging.
Overall, Jarhead is not bad movie. Yes, it has its ups and downs here and there. However, it is certainly not one I would recommendable to everyone. Maybe those who are big Jake Gyllenhaal's fans would be the best people to recommend to.