Pointless

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2005)

There's no story here -- in fact, one of the 'points' of the movie is that nothing happens. As a slice of life it's been proved inaccurate by various people who've actually served -- and even if it was accurate I'd question the point of it, since GUNNER'S PALACE works much better at filling that niche (among other things, it has the merit of being actually true, ie a documentary.) Historically, it's "theme", that the infantry has been rendered pointless in an era of push-button war ala the Gulf War, couldn't be more out of date, as a brief glimpse at today's headlines will show. It's philosophical "point", that man receives meaning by what he does, is pseudo-profound at best, basically just dime store dorm room philosophizing. Dramatically so much of the movie seems ripped off from better films (FULL METAL JACKET and THREE KINGS, especially) that one is left feeling like one should've rented those instead.
Nicely acted, especially by Foxx. And really lovely cinematography at times, especially in the oilfire sequences. But pointless all around, should never have been a movie in the first place.