Review of film: “GREEN ZONE”

2010, 03-08:

Review of film:  “GREEN ZONE”

Director

Paul Greengrass

Writer:

Brian Helgeland (written by)

Rajiv Chandrasekaran (book)

Starring:

Yigal (Igal) Naor

Said Faraj

Faycal Attougui

Aymen Hamdouchi

Matt Damon

Nicoye Banks

Jerry Della Salla

Sean Huze

Raad Rawi

Amy Ryan

Greg Kinnear           

Michael O'Neill

Allen Vaught           

Paul Rieckhoff

Brendan Gleeson

Martin McDougall   

Antoni Corone

Timothy Ahern

Khalid Abdalla

MPAA Rating:

R for violence and language.

Quotes:

“Who’s the officer in charge? This is a WMD site!”

“This is the 3^rd straight time [this has happened]!”

“We’ll FIND the weapons—.”

“All they’re interested in is finding something they can hold up on CNN!”

“There’s a problem with the intelligence.”

“Democracy is messy.”

“My leg is in Iran— 1987.”

“I want to HELP my country.”

“We’re here to do a job & get home safe.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“How do you write something that’s NOT true?!”

“He doesn’t want the truth to get out.”

“CHANGE is coming to the Middle East at last…”

“Your government WANTED to hear the lie.”

“Where is ‘my place’?— In a deck of CARDS?!”

“It is not for you to decide what happens here.”

“Some pretty strong language…”

“You made him up.”

“We WON.”

MY Rating:

8.5 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the 115-minute film).

SMART Unmasking of BUSHITE Deceptions

It’s March 14, 2003--  around the start of the U.S. military’s GROUND efforts of the Iraq War against Saddam Hussein in the Baghdad area… 

…  In one of the American military outfits is a Chief named Miller (MATT DAMON) who very much wants to succeed in his assigned task of finding Saddam’s WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction).  He grows very frustrated when he time & again is sent to places that turn up NOTHING even remotely like such items (such as a warehouse that has like “10 years” of pigeon droppings inside it)… 

...  He’s assisted by his company men Wilkens (JERRY DELLA SALLA), Conway (SEAN HUZE), & others…

 …  At a military briefing, Matt speaks up to the “Big Shots” running it & questions just WHERE the military “info” was coming from for his searches, pointing out how his company has wasted loads of time & risked lives with NOTHING to show for it.  He means it in a “helpful” way--  but the “Big Brass” is very DISPLEASED that he “spoke up” about such things… 

…  Also displeased with Matt’s words is a Big Shot American “SPIN DOCTOR” for the government, “Intelligence” man Clark Poundstone (GREG KINNEAR)--  who only wants people speaking as the (Bushite) White House wants... 

…  Greg is interested in promoting Bush’s “chosen” Iraqi “leader” / puppet Ahmed Zubaidi (RAAD RAWI) -- altho he hadn’t been living in Iraq for like thirty years & had no meaningful “following” there... 

...  During his machinations, Greg carefully “reveals” a limited amount of info to a Wall Street Journal writer named Lawrie Dayne (AMY RYAN), since he feels he can “CONTROL” what she writes…

                       

…  But one person at the meeting LIKES what he’d heard Matt say--  namely, lead CIA man in the area Martin Brown (BRENDAN GLEESON).  He ALSO has been very skeptical of the supposed “WMD” reports, & wants things “tracked-down” so America doesn’t look “foolish” to the outside world & isn’t wasting time on unnecessary activities...

...  He thus gives Matt one of his business cards, & urges him to be in touch with him about what he “discovers”…

…  On one of his missions, Matt chances to meet a local Iraqi man he nicknames “Freddy” (KHALID ABDALLA), who speaks up straightforwardly & tells him he saw an unusual “meeting” of important Iraqi military people going on nearby. ..

...  Matt is suspicious, but in-effect appoints him as his INTERPRETER, & finds out Khalid was telling him the truth (since he sees important “Jack of Clubs” General Al Rawi, played by YIGAL {IGAL} NAOR)…

…  There is a lot of well-done MILITARY skirmishing thruout the film, including Matt’s going after the group of big-time Iraqis.  But, to Matt’s shock, his work is suddenly interrupted by an attack on his own company by some AMERICAN military group that was operating under some unusual “SECRET” orders, trying to steal something he’d found…

…  The movie then starts a finely fascinating multi-layered “spiraling” as it shows the highly POLITICIZED actions of people & groups with a bunch of “special AGENDAS”… 

...  Matt tries to help Brendan’s CIA people who seem to have a “REALISTIC” view of the situation(s), & finds that puts him & others in danger from others in the “Government” who are trying to HIDE things from the “public” at large…

…  As an “aside”, a movie-loving associate commented to me before the film that he feels “THE HURT LOCKER” (which this past weekend won the Oscar as Best Picture) seemed to help “bridge” the gap of dealing with the IRAQ situation--  allowing the American public to see the film as sort of “just another WAR movie” rather than having an onus for dealing with the ongoing specific problems in Iraq…

…  This “GREEN ZONE” film has some excellently tense ACTION scenes--  both “large” & small, with both “personal” & WIDE-ranging consequences… 

...  It openly deals with the way the Bushite government worked hard to in-effect DECEIVE the American & world public with its claims of “WMDs” & the supposed “REASONS” for attacking Iraq (which soon proved to have NOTHING to do with “9/11”, despite what the oblivious, inept & deceptive politicos wanted you to believe for “THEIR” purposes)…

…  In my opinion, you’ll see frightening reminders of how the supposed “Mission ACCOMPLISHED” was really “Mission TARNISHED” by self-serving politicians & their military pawns: 

...  Risking the lives of thousands of American & “allied” military service-people, DESTROYING probably 150,000+ lives on Bush’s “Mission PHONY BALONEY”, throwing away a TRILLION dollars on numerous WORTHLESS endeavors (that COULD have been spent on things moving the country truly FORWARD, such as on ending homelessness & improving the HEALTH of untold millions, + could have avoided pushing America towards an economic DEPRESSION, etc.)…

…  Please understand--  this film is NOT “heavy-handed” at all:  it shows the DIVERGENT agendas of various American “groups”, how known truths can be easily SUBVERTED & TWISTED [by a sad series of American Presidents from Vietnam on], & the public led down thousands of “garden paths” (strewn with BOMBS & grenades) that just “happened” to benefit certain “CONNECTED” people politically & economically)…

…  The story is choice, the high-energy action & acting is impressive (with a bunch of “THINKING” people in Matt, Brendan, etc.), & I found it the “type” of story that NEEDS to be told (even if it’s not a very “pretty” or “easy” representation)…

…  You could go see it as simply a very effective “Action” movie--  but, to me, it’s a LOT MORE than that (which is why I rated it as I did)…

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