Not Bad, But Is This A War or Drama Movie?

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2009)

I think that Jarhead is a good movie. I really cannot call this a war film because there is no fighting and no war deaths. What I can call this is a drama. This movie plays out as a good drama that will provoke some emotions.
This is a non fiction story that tells the life of Anthony Swofford during his boot camp time and his time overseas at Kuwait. He and his troops are waiting for war, but they never get the chance.
The acting is pretty good. I liked Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford. He is a believable character. Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard are even better and they should deserve an Oscar nomination. I liked Evan Jones character, Fowler.
The one thing that is confusing is the pace of the movie. One moment, the soldiers just enter the war. The next moment, the war is over and everyone is celebrating. I did not see that coming.
Sam Mendes does a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed most of it. I rate this movie 8/10.