War

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2008)

I can't claim that Spielberg has overwhelmed me on many an occasion. I tend to find his work somewhat sentimental and too bright and up-beat for my world-view. But here, he delivers. The first thirty minutes or so of this will pretty much tell you what you need to know(and I mean that in the most positive way possible), and few will manage to avoid being pulled in, right from the start in a grip that only really lets go when the credits roll. The production quality is rather close to setting a new standard for highest. The direction is spot-on(there's some beautiful underplaying going on here), and almost all of the emotional material is done exactly right(there was perhaps one bit near the end that just it is not quite there). The pacing is flawless, this never loses your interest(in spite of being close to three hours) nor moves so fast that the audience is lost. The acting is impressive(this thing's got enough acting power to fuel half a dozen of these), even Mark Vincent(even if he'd prefer we called him Vin Diesel) isn't bad(yeah, I know...I could kick myself, and no thanks, Amy). The realism is an accomplishment; the situations, the reactions, the people, everything, almost the entire way through is so close to the real thing you'd swear someone colorized actual footage or something. There is some Hollywood herein, however, but the scales are tipped so far in favour of the authenticity, it's a very, very minor complaint. Cinematography and editing are just amazing... they really bring the scenes to life, and give you a sense of what it must be like to really be there. This has got atmosphere to spare. There is a lot of violence and language. The writing is remarkable, and many details are magnificent. The story isn't the most engaging ever in an anti-war film, but it certainly is good. I recommend this to any fan of war movies, just do realize that this holds little back in its depiction. 8/10