Green Zone

During my review of The Hurt Locker back in September 2009 I mentioned that movies based on the current Iraqi war were in abundence at that moment. I failed to mention that most of them ended up having a box office death. Paul Greengrasses Green Zone hasn’t escaped the same fate. There may a number of reasons for this, in particular the accusation that the film is “anti-war” and “anti-american”. However, its also possible for the reason that this isn’t a particularly great film and a long way towards the back of Greengrasses star studded CV so far. This is the first film for ages that I’ve seen that is based on a book that I’ve read. In this instance, Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s superb non-fiction account of life in Baghdad , Imperial Life in the Emerald City. However, the film is only “inspired” by the book, and despite trying to address some of the issues, actually bears little resemblance to the “source” material and eventually stumbles into a below par action film. Matt Damon stars as a Chief Warrant Officer on the trail of the much talked about WMD’s. Having trouble locating them he questions the reliability of the intel being given to him and his team. Unsurprisingly, he is given short shrift by the top brass. From then on we get a film akin to a John Grisham thriller as shadowy meetings and character clashes occur, albeit played out against a background of occasional action scenes. It’s all too mixed up though and Greengrass never seems clear as to what kind of film he wants to show. All talk and no-one will turn up. All action and he’ll lose the message he is trying to send. What is that message though? Being a Brit, Greengrass wisely avoids portraying the film as complete American incompetence, but the only real political statement he makes is one of short sightedness of top level management. Hardly a new revelation that. There are some plus points though, including the usual excellent cinematography and some decent acting from the actors portraying the Iraqis. In additional, Greengrass does capture the mayhem and hustle and bustle of Baghdad . However, by the time Jason Issacs and his Delta Force team turn up, and the film turns a bit Platoon, you’ll also start to experience some confusion yourself.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Not a bad film per se, but a major disappointment considering the talent involved. Rating: 5/10.