mendes magic

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2006)

Subtle is Sam Mendes style, well paced but with amazing visuals is what we've come to expect from the director of 'American beauty'. Jarhead is no exception and from the opening gambit of Jake being put through his paces by the drill sergeant from hell right up to the closing shots this movie has all the elements of a classic. This is a war film but with no war in it and the voice over of the central character sounds like a teenagers diary extract which in a way it is. Twenty-year-old Swoff, as he says in his own words 'got lost on my way to college' and is gearing up to go to Iraq during the first gulf war. From here on in the story is all about the lack of war, the futility of it all and the boredom of the troops. The whole thing is visually stunning and contains some of the most impressive cinematography i've ever seen. Being set in the desert Mendes can sweep and languish on expansive landscapes complete with sunsets, sandstorms and burning oil wells. Its not all gloom as is often the case in these situations there is a lot of humour even if at times it is dark. Obviously there is a message within the films exploration of war and human nature and sometimes this feels a little much. We all know war is bad, get over it. Apart from that and maybe being about twenty minutes too long there is nothing I can fault this film for it is well scripted, acted and executed. I will be surprised if this film doesn't win the awards it so rightly deserves.