Green Zone

Green Zone is an exceedingly mediocre action film which, given its pedigree, means it is a dissapointment. The film is directed by Paul Greengrass, written by Brian Helgeland, and stars Matt Damon, so quality shouldn't be an issue. The plot also follows what an interesting story (the search for WMDs after the invasion of Iraq, and faulty intelligence surrounding the search), but what should have been a taught politically relevant action film, ended up coming off as a middling Bourne knockoff.

The biggest problems with the film revolve around a script that's filled with dialougue that could be described as overly expository at best, and subtle as a brick to the face at worst. The film has absolutely no confidence in the audience being able to understand any subtext and takes the approach of 'why be understated about the political point we're trying to make when we can present it in the manner of an eighth grade civics project.' This extends to the characters in that everyone has to have one all defining characteristic and never show any variation from that whatsoever. It doesn't help that everyone delivers their lines with the earnestness that I exhibit when begging someone to go on a date with me and eventually it just caused me to scream "I get it! One US official who wanted to invade Iraq lied about the intel and screwed everything up for everybody, and this will have far reaching geo-poltical consequences for years to come." (this did cause me to get a few looks, but whatever that's how I roll). Also heaven forbid anybody exhibit even the an iota of a sense of humor (though Jason Isaacs' mustache was interesting), I mean you wouldn't want to the audience to feel like the characters had a personality or anything.

My next issue has to do with the way the film was shot. I think I'm pretty much done with this whole cinema-verte handheld camera method of shooting action sequences. Yes I get that its supposed to add intensity and authenticity, but what really happens is that its difficult to get any sense of what's going on. Granted my raging crystal meth addiction could have something to do with my inability to process, but I still think this is a bad way to go. If there's no sense of geography of whats happening in a scene I don't care how 'in your face' the action is, its going to be difficult to be grabbed by it. This is the difference between watching a great hong kong fight scene, and something by Michael Bay. The former is more difficult to pull off, but infinitely more rewarding.

I'm probably being harder on Green Zone than it deserves as in spite of all the problems it manages to be moderately entertaining. I just expected something better. On a side note with all the self-serious Iraq War films that have come out over the past couple of years its telling that the film that has done the best job dealing with the complex issues surrounding the invasion is In The Loop -a profane british farce, that deals with a fictional conflict. The lesson of course is that important political points can always be enhanced by copious amounts of profanity.