Incredible war movie

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2020)

Despite a derivative opening sequence, Jarhead is an incredible war movie that skillfully explores the pointless nature of the first Gulf War. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an incredible lead performance with great supporting performances from Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard and Lucas Black. Sam Mendes' direction and Roger Deakins' cinematography combine to make a visually inventive film with plenty of stunning moments. It's also expertly paced as it manages to be extremely engaging throughout with very few action sequences. Both the soundtrack and the music by Thomas Newman are amazing.