Thrilling, heart-pounding war film which marks a massive improvement on Peter Berg's early foray into the War on Terror, The Kingdom. It helps this is based on a true story and focuses on a more containable, emotional story: four members of a recon patrol who are dropped into the Afghan mountains to stake out a Taliban leader, and find things go horribly wrong.
Because we know from the opening sequence and title that only one person will make it back, there is tremendous tension all throughout. It's all going to go badly, and at least three people will die, so you sit there waiting for the Grim Reaper to call.
It also means that Mark Wahlberg, who plays the title role, actually doesn't have the best part - the other three are better, because they all get these awesome death scenes. There are excellent performances from Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster and believe it or not Taylor Kitsch - Berg maybe felt bad about Battleship and owed it to the guy, so gave him a choice role in this, and Kitsch is actually really good.
The first two acts of this are outstanding, with wonderful sense of authenticity, some decent comic by- play (the soldiers worrying about wedding gifts, painting schemes at home, initiation ceremonies for a new soldier) which have the important role of setting up the characters so we actually care about them; then the excitement of the landing, and being discovered by young kids and an old man, and an ethical discussion whether to kill them, tie them up or let them go, then the pursuit and high-powered action sequences. (I know this is being wise in hindsight but surely even at the time tying them up was the right way to go.)
The last third starts with a real wham - the death of Eric Bana and his rescue team - but then becomes a bit more wonky when Wahlberg falls into the hands of some friendly Afghans. He becomes more passive, the story felt more Hollywood - although this element is apparently true as well, I think it would have felt more believable if it had been clearer that the friendly Afghans were partly annoying the Taliban because they had a long-standing feud with the neighbouring tribe. Still, Wahlberg's final farewell to his new allies brought a lump to the throat.
It really is a powerful, epic film. It does dehumanise the Afghans - even the friendly ones barely get any translated dialogue - but since its told from the point of view of American soldiers I feel that's justifiable; it's entirely justifiable dramatically.
Eric Bana provides gravitas in a support part and the guy who plays Turtle from Entourage is in it, and completely fits in.
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