Among the best of 2000. Superbly acted.

Rating: Null/10 (13 March 2003)

TIGERLAND covers ground well treed, grunts suffering through boot camp on their way Vietnam and war they don't want to be in. Still, this film is fresh and should rank among the best war films made over the past decade. There are really two reasons for this.
The first is a baffling one, the Director Joel Schumacher. A man who directs such crap as Bad Company, 8MM and the franchise derailing Batman & Robin, shows a flash of his potential brilliance. Schumacher creates a beautiful, 16mm style that places us IN the boot camp with the characters, without drawing from the story. Tigerland seems to prove necessity is the mother of invention, shot with a reported $7 million dollar budget, Schumacher does wonders.
But what really makes this movie, is Collin Farrell. He has a truly breakthrough performance as Bozz, a young man rebelling against army training and himself. Before getting to the big time in Minority Report and Phone Booth (also Schumacher), Farrell was discovered here. Bozz should go down as a classic unlikely hero, in the vein of The Cooler King. It's a moving and brilliant performance.
With Hollywood breaking the bank and turning out junk, they should take a lesson from TIRGERLAND. It's gritty, beautiful film, with great performances.