“Green Zone,” starring Matt Damon, is a combination of fact, fiction and lots of action. With the invasion of Iraq in 2003, there were assurances that this act was necessary to remove a danger represented by Sadaam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD). And while the facts behind the motives for our actions remains unclear, one thing is indisputable: there were no WMDs in Iraq and the intelligence that placed them there was faulty. Paul Greengrass’ adrenalin-pumping thriller, set in Baghdad during the early months of occupation, takes the view that the intelligence was a result of lies, incompetence and deliberately manipulated misinformation. Greengrass’ style of using the jittery hand-held camera may give immediacy to some of the scenes, but it becomes tiresome after awhile. Matt Damon makes a credible hero with his good looks and open face and Greg Kinnear is effective as Miller’s oily antagonist.
Chief warrant officer Roy Miller (Damon) is frustrated as he goes about his job of tracking down WMDs because all the sites he’s sent to are empty and his men are put in jeopardy in the process. Defense representative Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), who represents the Bush administration in Iraq, affirms that the intelligence is accurate, the result of detailed info provided by the mysterious informant ‘Magellan.’ CIA operative Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson) disagrees and tells Miller that he’s not going to find any WMDs at the next site. Then ‘Frankie’ (Khalid Abdalla) approaches Miller with information that a high-ranking general of the Republican Guard is at a meeting in a nearby house. That general is Al Rawi, a man both Poundstone and Brown want, but for different reasons. As Miller chases after Al Rawi, he finds himself being hunted by US Special Forces soldiers. “Green Zone” successfully mixes fact and fiction and the result is a satisfying action flick with political undertones. 3/12/10
1 comment:
The “Green Zone” has some exciting action and lots of bombs and insurgents but not much depth to it. I thought Matt Damon was well cast as the Chief Warrant Officer in charge of the troop searching for WMD’s. The movie, however, soon turns into an expose’ of the GW Bush administration when they uncover a plot by politicians who were told prior to the Iraq war that that there were no weapons of mass destruction and decided to go to war anyway??? It amazes me how Hollywood can rewrite history.
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