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thedrifter
11-10-05, 06:24 AM
Stormy Desert
Exceptional acting brings dreary wartime to life in Jarhead

By Mark Roberts
The Shorthorn staff

The two most important things needed to produce a solid film are a good director and smart dialogue.

Jarhead delivers both.

Sam Mendes directs this amusing-yet-borderline-depressing picture about Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his band of misfit Marines. Based on Swofford’s best-selling 2003 book, the movie details his experiences during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Not enough can be said about the look of this film. Mendes will be praised for the visual beauty of this dark comedy. Especially when the film turns to the Middle East, Jarhead’s myriad of excellent single frames will be displayed on computer desktops on military bases around the country.

But Mendes could also be ridiculed because the film can get slow. Don’t be too quick to criticize, though, because it lags for a reason.

Jarhead explains military life in the Middle East during those times by showing monotonous routine and mindless repetition. Boredom and frustration in an ocean of sand can push a soldier to the point of insanity.

In one scene, Swofford holds the barrel of a gun to his face while screaming for the soldier at the other end to pull the trigger.

The honest dialogue never holds back. Several humorous lines make the audience laugh out loud, although it’s usually one character berating another. The rough military banter comes close but never crosses the cliché line.

Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx stand out with exceptional acting performances. Gyllenhaal’s facial expressions are as effective as his subtle body language in portraying thoughts and feelings without speaking.

Jamie Foxx rebounds from his last film, Stealth. Even as a hard-core lifer in the Marines, Foxx can’t hide his magnetic and charismatic personality.

Jarhead isn’t without its flaws. Anyone not in the military might find it difficult to relate to Swofford and understand why he fully embraces the Marine Corps.
JARHEAD

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx
Director: Sam Mendes
Rating: R
Ranking: 31/2 Stars
on a 1-5 scale

Ellie

dcline
11-10-05, 06:55 AM
Has anyone seen this. Is it any good?