Jarring!

Rating: 8/10 (10 November 2006)

Director Sam Mendes' war flick "Jarhead" is about a battle-less war. The film is based on former marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudia Arabia and about his experiences fighting "or not fighting for that matter" in Kuwait. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the cocky and mutinous Swofford who probably got in trouble in his uneasy childhood for going into the cookie jar way too many times without permission. However, that is not why he is a 'jarhead". Jarhead is the term given to fighting marines. The film co-stars Peter Sarsgaard as the defiant Corporal Troy, Jamie Foxx as the hard-Knox Sgt. Sykes, Lukas Black as the government pundit Corporal Kruger, and Chris Cooper as the marine lifer Lt. Col. Kazinski. These charismatic supporting actor battalion deserve kudos for their auteur efforts ; noteworthy goes to Saarsgard though. Director Sam Mendes sets the cinematic battleground of "Jarhead" in the eagerness & desperation of the marines in their quest for combat in a battle-dry situation. Gyllenhaal's gritty leading performance was credible and courageous. Even though his doggy-style gay character in "Brokeback Mountain" broke more backs in battle than his Swofford character in "Jarhead". Where I do have to give medals of cinema honor to "Jarhead" was in its astounding cinematography by the great Roger Deakins. Thomas Newman's musical score was also right on the note target. So all in all, I say "OOO RAH" to "Jarhead" and give it a favorable recommendation. **** Good