Gritty, realistic, tough first-hand account of U.S. Marines in Gulf War...

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2006)

JAKE GYLLENHAAL contributes to the impression gained from other films that he's one of the hottest contenders for the cream of the crop of new actors on the Hollywood scene. His performance here is flawless and just plain brilliant.
The novel was written by a man who served his time in the Gulf War and we see the story from his viewpoint as a U.S. Marine training for combat under arduous conditions in Iraq after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. The desert landscape looks as though it was filmed on actual locations instead of Mexico.
The salty language is peppered with typical service jargon (plenty of vulgarity and "f" words tossed around), the kind that was never allowed in service films from the '30s to the '50s--which makes the whole thing ring true with even more authenticity than usual. Anyone easily offended will have to skip this one.
While Gyllenhaal carries much of the film, CHRIS COOPER impresses in a brief role as a Lt. Col. and JAMIE FOXX is superb as a crusty Staff Sgt. whose only goal is to get his men into fighting shape. All of the supporting actors do amazingly well in roles that steer away from being the kind of stereotypes we're used to in service films. There's a wild unpredictability in the antics of the young men that comes from a superior script and enhanced by expert direction from Sam Mendes. Gyllenhaal is exceptional in his freaked out moment where he almost contemplates committing friendly fire on a buddy who lets the troop down. His temperamental and hysterical outburst is utterly convincing.
The oil well scenes are strikingly photographed for maximum effect and there's a jauntiness to the background score that fits the wild antics of a bunch of boy/men who make up these fighting and playful Marines.
Not a treatise on the Gulf War or the U.S. involvement in it, but simply a straightforward tale of what it was like for Anthony Swofford who wrote the novel based on his own real-life experiences.
Highly recommended as an interesting look at men in stress under dangerous but sometimes boring combat conditions where some troops never even got to fire a gun.