Warfare is a simple yet powerfully effective film. Shot in real time we follow a Navy Seal team as they find themselves surrounded and make efforts to get out. Based on real events that happened to writer/director Mendoza, the film doesn't comment on anything and instead just sets us in a moment of life and death without "good guys" or "bad guys" and just forces us to confront what modern warfare is like.
The film is diligently accurate to the events experienced by the film maker and his compatriots. I understand many of them were on hand for the filming to share the real world events with the actors portraying them. You can feel the authenticity, even as the film remains rather succinct and brief. We are dropped into the moment and follow it through. The film ends in a moment that is so robustly full of a feeling of futility and waste.
The cast is made up of some of the most exciting young actors coming up today. This is a true ensemble piece without anyone standing out. Mendoza could have made himself the star, especially with the amazing Woon-A-Tai playing him. But he doesn't. Instead this is a team effort.
Partnering with his friend Garland, Mendoza makes an impressive debut using film to capture very intense emotion very effectively. Garland insists he stepped back and let Mendoza tell this story. The collab feels very successful in centring a story obviously very important to the film makers.
Warfare
Starring: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton
Writers/Directors: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland
No comments:
Post a Comment