Saturday, August 20, 2005
WAR IS HELL
Stanley Kubrick again; a Best 1176 NYTimes Film.
Another triumph of style over substance in
Don't get me wrong. There are great bits in this film and it is certainly one of the best looking war movies I have seen. Kubrick's devotion to the perfect set gets in his way here though in the war scenes.
Even I could see that we were going around the same wreckage for the third time. That the squad was lost didn't read. I knew where they were; somewhere on the other side of the big burning building we saw in the first battle in the other place--what fires--hell, huh?
The best part of the movie is the Parris Island training stuff. It is fascinating. We have seen it all before but not so thoroughly rendered. Vince D'Onofrio as the fuck up each platoon requires and Lee Ermey as the DI are superb.
Matthew Modine, who tells the story, is somehow very bland and yet the center of the story? No. He is telling it. But then, he is in it too. Doesn't work too well.
My comments are all in pieces because that is sort of what the movie is like. All over the place.
I think Stan got caught up in the fog of war.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5 and save you a rant about Kubrick's inconsistent performances as an auteur.
