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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Green Zone (2010) in Movies

Aug 8, 2019

Green Zone (2010)

2010 | Drama, Mystery

6.7

(3 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Taking you into the depths of the controversial Iraq conflict is the new thriller “Green Zone”. Matt Damon, stars as chief warrant officer Roy Miller. Along side Damon are a number of well crafted characters such as the shady operations lead, Clark Poundstone, played by the ever snarky Greg Kinnear and the eager journalist, Lawrie Danye, played by Amy Ryan. However, the strongest support both within the plot and story telling came from the local informant “Freddy” played by Khalid Abdalla.

Based on the 2006 award winning book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone” by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the film focuses on the duality of war. The plot covers both the obtuse role of US military within Iraq and the multitude of complexities a soldier faces in the pursuit of what is right.

“Green Zone” presents a compelling take on the Iraq conflict by pursuing a variety of perspectives and maintaining the intensity of a good thriller. It is a film that manages to enjoy the fruits of a novel basis while avoiding the boring dragging out that so often happens when films try to maintain literary accuracy.

In fact, the beginning was more like playing a good level of Call of Duty Modern Warfare (starring a main character who happens to have once been Jason Bourne) than an adaptation of a famous piece of literature. Partially due to Damon’s acting skills, “Green Zone” manages to walk far from the identity of Bourne and quickly catches viewers up in an entirely different character.

An interesting perspective on a conflict that is still fresh in the minds of US citizens, “Green Zone” proves to be thought-provoking while at the same time creating an enjoyable film-going experience.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Campaign (2012) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019

The Campaign (2012)

2012 | Comedy

5.5

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

When a pug owning, sweater-wearing simpleton, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), unexpectedly becomes the congressional candidate of choice for two wealthy businessmen, he finds himself in a wild race against the walking political stereotype incumbent, Cam Brady (Will Ferrell).

Galifianakis fans will be excited to see the star playing a new role; the slightly sweet bumpkin, Marty, is a far cry from Galifianakis’ breakout character in “The Hangover”. And his co-star, Will Ferrell once again steps out of the shadow of Frank the Tank to remind the public just how funny he can be. And the film is well rounded with the noteworthy side characters, from the unstoppably serious campaign manager played by Dylan McDermott to the sharply focused politician’s wife played by Katherine LaNasa

Offering viewers an unending stream of chuckles, “The Campaign” is not gut-bustingly-hilarious. Instead the film is a stream of small jokes about the American political system, focusing on the lying and issue-skirting that the politics are famed for. Dotted with the occasional crazed political strategy and creative mud-slinging, “The Campaign” avoids trying too hard through simple comedy.

However, the film is not without fault. The movie is slow at times and there are a number of unnecessarily forced scenes, such as the already rumor-riddled CGI baby punch. Moreover, the disappointing portrayal of Cam’s advisor, Mitch, by the usually hilarious Jason Sudeikis, added no value to the picture.

Even with these small flubs, the film succeeds due to the comedic partnership of Galifianakis and Ferrell. The duo knows no bounds when it comes to delivering ridiculous funny lines.
A pleasant way to kick-off the political season, “The Campaign” manages to avoid all-too-common political comedy errors by focusing on the funny facets of the political process and avoiding the actual issues.