War Machine (2017) Reviews

• Throwing Deadpan Bricks

  industrialwonk2017-05-26

  This film will generate anger because it throws a "deadpan" brick directly towards cultural dysfunction and mass delusion. "War Machine," and Brad Pitt, even exceeded the deadpan message of "Being There" a film from a less cynical time in history but still relevant to this day. "War Machine" does a great job illustrating how disconnected the every-man has become in relation to reality. We live in a time where facts are now selectively chosen to support forgone perspectives rather than being absolute, universal, and irrefutable. We live in a time where personage, perceptions, and public relations matter more than overview, objectives, conclusions, and endpoints. Reality has been set adrift. It was a brave thing to produce this film because it speaks to a very narrow audience. Most people won't be entertained by the communication mechanism (deadpan) nor will the understand the message. Few people will be open to perspectives other than those which are preconceived. Some people are not aware and thus cannot acknowledge the wounds and damage that political lies have done to the American process and psyche. To conclude our failed state of affairs, the affairs of a failed nation state (our nation state) I am not with him because he is certainly not with me no matter how much he tells me otherwise. The cohesion of leadership, truth, and the American way has left the building. It is more of a shame that people won't understand this film, or won't want to. And that is how far we have fallen. Perhaps Rome fell the same way on the sword and misadventure of its own lies and delusion.

• Excellent self-criticism

  Laiath2017-05-26

  Everything I saw about the movie before I saw the movie pointed to a bold critique of US foreign policy and war politics, so I didn't expect an action filled nail-biter. It did deliver what I expected, and did so phenomenally. The issues the movie brings up and the things the characters said really, truly couldn't have been said more openly and directly. As the narrator would have you know, it's going to fall on deaf ears where it matters the most, granted, but it's one heck of a catharsis session all the same. Where the progression of events gets too slow, the brilliant acting comes to the rescue. Pitt's performance didn't look to me as smooth and believable as it used to be, but Tilda Swinton and Ben Kingsley blew my mind. With their impeccable accents and spot on mannerisms, it was near impossible to tell they were just actors (save for their very familiar faces). There were a few pretty funny lines, too. To anyone who doesn't mind listening to dialogue and watching out for subtle goings-on, this movie is a must, MUST see.

• What Planet Am I On?

  trescia-12017-05-26

  Apparently, a large number of Americans are unaware that we have been fighting several nasty wars on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for nearly two decades. The insane part of this is not the loss of lives, property or the reputation of the United States--it's that the awful truth has revealed that deep down, a large percentage of Americans just don't care about other people, don't care about good government, don't care about puppies or flowers or fresh baked cookies. A large number of Americans seem to be unplugged in some fundamental way. Soul-less. This movie restores a little (very little) of my faith in my fellow McDonald's eaters. The outright horror of Afghanistan is portrayed as a joke, because, dad-gummit, showing Kirk Douglas raging at generals and three sorry dupes being shot in cold blood "to encourage the others" just doesn't have the same punch it used to have. People used to expect a cocktail to be mixed with pride by a skilled bartender. Now, if it doesn't contain a severed finger it's good to go. Our ability to judge our own lives is now suspect. This film dares to aim a punch straight at the nose of the al-mighty. If it misses just a little--well, ten out of ten for the effort. I could not stand to watch another sappy piece of propaganda showing some babe-a-licious soldiers doing their duty in some god-forsaken part of Southern California while wondering "what is it all for" aloud. It's not for anything. This whole place is out of order. You're out of order. At one time, being "anti-war" was normal for Americans. Now, things are worse. It's a mess, and it gets worse every day. We have to do something. If present trends continue, then some clownish general will roll down Pennsylvania Avenue and arrest the government. WAKE UP. Films like this are small but vital steps in the right direction. Brad Pitt did the right thing here. We need to end illegal wars and stop crimes against humanity in the name of the people of the U.S.A.

• Intriguing perspective on the US war on whatever

  siderite2017-09-24

  It wasn't a movie I enjoyed very much, but it was a good movie. You can feel it in your guts. It's a description of the US operations in Afghanistan, and I had expected a liberal viewpoint that made fun of the mess there. But it wasn't so. It actually showed viewpoints from multiple perspectives. Brad Pitt plays a general, newly appointed to the region in order to "fix things". And he is trying to. He fights bureaucracy, politicians, and insurgents alike in order to get things done. He has a faithful group of subordinates who worship him and help him do whatever he wants. Ironically, his technical approach makes him the enemy of the US administration, which only needs to show they are trying, without actually having to succeed. Ben Kingsley has a few scenes as president Karzai that are ridiculously funny, too. "But I am acting as a leader. I am unavailable", he says in one scene. Hilarious. In the end, one cannot but sympathize with a guy who wants to end the war, militarily or course, by unequivocally winning it, regardless of what human issues are hindering the victory. He has a job to do, even if it's obvious no one wants him to do it. The movie shows how these kinds of "wars" were never meant to be won, even if you had someone actually trying to. Bottom line: A movie is impressive when it manages to portray a US army general as a simple task oriented technician, hired like you would hire a plumber to do a job. It gets even more impressive when it shows how impossible that job really is. And the acting was great. The mood was a little too deadpan for me. It is something that amuses you internally while you wonder why everything is moving so slow. I believe this was deliberate, in order for the viewer to understand a little bit of how slow things are really moving in the real world.

• If Brad Pitt's charisma could win the war...

  latinotoons2018-07-14

  A wonderfully scripted film: engaging, entertaining deadpan, and not the least bit disrespectful, it exhibits the inherent contradictions in war and empire-building--wait, we don't call it that anymore... Brad Pitt is a charismatic powerhouse in his role as the Glennimal.