Directed by Paul Greengrass
The Iraq War started in 2003 under the auspices of the Americans saving the world by uncovering weapons of mass destruction. If you entered ‘weapons of mass destruction’ into the Google search at that time and pressed ‘I’m feeling lucky’, Google informed you that they couldn’t find any weapons of mass destruction. Though not strictly historically accurate, director Paul Greengrass drops Warrant Officer, Roy Miller (Matt Damon) into the middle of the Iraq skirmishes to look for the WMDs. After discovering nothing more than empty buildings and pigeon poo, he goes on his own search for the truth.
Miller finds the Head of Intelligence, Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), who has set up camp in the luxurious palace formally owned by Saddam Hussein. The army of intelligence personnel are drinking beer and eating Dominos pizza beside the pool while soldiers have been killed securing locations that have turned up nothing. Questioning the ‘reliable intelligence’ puts Miller at odds with his superiors because the WMD justification actually became redundant when the war was fait accompli. There is nothing redeemable about the unscrupulous Poundstone and when Miller uncovers conspiracies (that ring somewhat true), Poundstone orders that Miller be ‘taken down’.
Known for his historical docudramas and thrillers, Greengrass combines both of these and uses frenetic hand-held camera work and rapid editing to create the immediacy of war action. The audience becomes part of the action as Miller ends up battling the Special Forces. Helping him is a local man who has lost a leg. Freddy (Khalid Abdalla) actually welcomed the deposing of Saddam Hussein but says to Miller ‘it’s not up to you to determine what happens in my country.’ This film brings up interesting questions about a war that is still raging after 8 years.
Lezly Herbert
