At the Theater - "Lone Survivor" - This late 2013 film is based on the true story of June 2005's fateful "Operation Red Wings", where four U.S. Navy Seals sent on a recon mission in Afghanistan were ambushed by Taliban forces, killing three team members and seriously wounding another. The initial rescue mission was subsequently thwarted when a special operations chopper was shot down, killing all eight Navy Seals and eight U.S. Army Special Ops aviators on board. For the most part, Director Peter Berg (The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock) has crafted a patriotic, yet sensitive account that's also effectively tense, highly interesting and often thrilling- the film is only hampered by an eleventh-hour onset of clunky melodrama and a few brief moments of action-movie devolution.
Mark Wahlberg (Ted) essentially stars here, portraying Navy Hospital Corpsman Second Class "Marcus Luttrell"- I imagine everyone who's shown the slightest bit of interest in this film has seen the trailers and has thus deduced that Wahlberg's Luttrell, although battered and bullet-riddled, is the one who survives the ordeal. Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) portrays Navy Lieutenant "Michael P. Murphy", with Ben Foster (3:10 To Yuma 2007) providing support as Petty Officer Second Class "Matthew Axelson". Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild) rounds out the four as Petty Officer Second Class "Danny Dietz". Berg, who also wrote the film's screenplay (working from Marcus Luttrell's non-fiction book), and the four principle leads establish commendably humanistic characters that audiences can sympathize with, supplying just the right amount of those little scenes of credible camaraderie before unleashing hell upon them. It's understood that these are everyday guys (albeit extraordinary and tougher than nails) with hopes and dreams and loved ones they all wish to return to. There's a certain moral dilemma which arises mid-film that may split viewers- a decision that ultimately and undoubtedly set in motion further events. Even with the benefit of hindsight, I'm still not sure how I would have "voted"...
Wahlberg continues to grow in significant strides as an actor, while it would be a shame if Kitsch's notable big-budgeted box office failures prevent him from landing future leading roles- both actors convey a charisma and presence indicative of reliable leading men. Ben Foster is still edgy but likeable, whereas Emile Hirsch, although solid, seems miscast. Eric Bana (Troy) pops up intermittently as Lieutenant Commander "Erik Kristensen", with the majority of his screen-time spent at "mission control". Yousouf Azami provides the scenery chewing al Qaeda commander while Israeli actor Ali Suliman (The Kingdom) provides support as the good-natured embodiment of the Afghan village that harbors Luttrell while awaiting rescue.
Keep a lookout for the real Marcus Luttrell in a recurring cameo, while Peter Berg gives himself a small role.
Audiences can expect a legitimately intense thirty-minute firefight (in reality, it lasted well over two hours) that comfortably rivals some of the best filmed and choreographed modern battle scenes in film history. This is gritty, harrowing and blood-caked material that had me gripping an arm rest. That said, I did have a couple of issues to pick at-
1. There's one ill-conceived slow motion shot where all four Seals jump off a cliff in unison (as a fiery explosion is set off behind them) that feels pulled from another, lesser film- it's that gaudy, 1980's style action gimmickry that I guess I've grown out of and marks the only moment in the film which nears glamorization.
2. There are at least three different occasions where anywhere from two to all four of the men tumble violently down significant stretches of mountainside, each time miraculously locating their weapons which have conveniently landed in close proximity. The sequences are well shot and effectively forceful, taking audiences on one helluva bruising, bone-crunching ride- though fans of Berg's 2003 film, The Rundown, will surely recognize this sequence as either a Director's trademark or familiar rehash.
3. One of the four Seals warns the others about the presence of poison oak while another experiences a close encounter with a rattlesnake- there is no poison oak growing naturally in the wild in Afghanistan while there are no rattlesnakes (especially not Western diamondbacks) indigenous to the region.
- Thus endeth my issues.
New Mexico (yes, hence the rattlesnake) substitutes for Afghanistan here- the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, featuring vibrant, crystal clear footage and several breathtaking vistas. There is indeed a few applications of shaky cam during the extended battle sequence but it actually serves it's point of view purpose rather well. It's understood that CGI was used extensively in a fiery helicopter crash, though it's of the seamless, razor-sharp variety. "Explosions In The Sky" and Steve Jablonsky supply a soulful string-heavy soundtrack that often tugs at the heart-strings- it's one that I appreciated so much that I purchased.
As far as Director Peter Berg is concerned, this film marks a healthy rebound from 2012's disastrous Battleship- then again, that particular project was a bad idea from the onset. Although an imperfect film, Lone Survivor is a worthwhile and fitting cinematic tribute to the exceptionally brave servicemen who fought and died in that particular incident in history.
I came into the theater for this showing a bit early to find a montage of candid photos of the fallen soldiers (often accompanied by loved ones) displayed on the screen as the credits began to roll- there were about thirty patrons at that particular showing and about two-thirds of them were shedding tears and wiping their eyes. Keeping that in mind during my viewing session, I stayed through those same end credits to find a similar situation by film's conclusion...hell, I even wiped a tear or two away, myself...
Highly Recommended
8.5 out of 10
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, Alexander Ludwig, Yousouf Azami, Ali Suliman,
Run-time: 121 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody war violence and pervasive language
***Of Note*** I'm well aware of a certain element that will quickly cry out "propaganda!" and "Pro-War!" and such nonsense without ever sitting down to view the film- the joke's on them, really, for their ignorance and predictability has become rather pathetic at this point. They're misguided, though allowed...
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