| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| Spin on Entertainment |
............ |
|
| Movie Review |
..... |
|
 |
|
Flags of Our Fathers
- In theaters October 20th 2006
- Rated R for sequences of graphic war violence
and
carnage, and for language
- RunTime: 132 min
- Website
- Matt's rating - 3 out of 5
- Cindy's rating - 3.5 out of 5
Matt's Review
Hollywood has been making war pictures for as long
as there has been film to print it on. Many films look
at the evolution of war and some at the foolishness
and horrors of these events. But all ultimately tell us
something of history though through one man’s pen
or another's directing eye. Like many Americans, I
have seen pictures and statues of the 6 men raising
the flag at Iwo Jima. Beyond that image I know
nothing more of its history or relevance. Thanks to
the new Clint Eastwood directed movie Flags of our
Fathers I know a little bit more. Though he took a
long time to tell it.
The story is just as much about the events in the US
surrounding this famous picture as the battle itself. A
simple, random snapshot, taken of men who had
more on their minds than just raising a flag, made
them heroes for all the wrong reasons. Flags of our
Fathers shows the emotional struggle of three men
(Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach )who are
thrown into the limelight and who want to do nothing
more than honor their fallen comrades. The story is
told in a sort of narrative that is confusing and you
don’t really know who they are until the end. Maybe
that was supposed to make it arty or mysterious but
it was just one more confusing direction this film
takes.
The film doesn't feel long even though it passes the
two hour mark. Maybe it is because the first half you
are trying to figure out who is who and what event is
happening when. The flashbacks and flash forwards
are edited badly and many times I had a hard time
trying to keep the events in perspective. Even now
that it is over I am not sure what happened when. In
war movies everyone looks alike and keeping the
characters separate is a full time job. Maybe that is
why it is good I never went to war. No telling who I
would shoot in all the chaos.
Like most war movies, I left feeling that the film
never did justice to the men and women who fought
and gave their lives. This movie though ok was not
more than that. It tells its tale, though badly at
times, and you leave thinking, "hmm, ok, that wasn't
a total waste of time", and I think soldiers deserve
better. Regardless if you are pro or anti war,
understand its meaning or think it is a total waste of
time the underlining factor is always the soldiers. Not
just the Americans but the other countries too. All
are fighting for what they think is right. All are living
breathing souls. The old line rings loudly in this film.
The true enemy is war itself. So, if you want a way
to spend two hours in a theater this is as good as
any. If you want to study history and learn more
about a pivotal event in WWII, go to the library.
Rated R for sequences of graphic war violence,
carnage and for language I give it 3 out of 5 flutters.
I'm Matt Mungle
|
Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
|
|
|
|
|
