Jarhead (Yahoo! movies page)
My rating: D+ (Poor effort)
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard
Released by: Universal Pictures
I rarely give movies a rating below C and its derivates. Jarhead deserves special mention, because it takes an interesting thing and turns it boring. It’s based on a book by a real-life US Army Marine Corps soldier, on his experiences during Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War. I haven’t read the book, but it seems from the movie that the book’s content – i.e., a personal diary of a Marine in Eye-raq – just isn’t suited for the big screen. It’s gritty, and it’s boring. An almost 2-hour long video diary, except that it has been shot on Hollywood movie quality footage. I’d have been more interested if it was actually shot by some Marine during the war. There’s no philosophical angle either – just the usual sanctimonius holier-than-thou crap of we’re-better-than-Eye-raqis. Uninspired performances, unrealistic performances. Except maybe Peter Sarsgaard, because he can keeps quiet and shoots nasty looks, which is a good thing when there’s no script; Peter Sarsgaard being highly talented in the shooting-nasty-looks business. The funny thing is, major American critics (even Ebert) ALWAYS fall for this sanctimonius patriotism. That’s OK, when a movie is GOOD, like Black Hawk Down, but not this…this abomination.
Jarhead trailer