A Private War is the true story of Marie Colvin; whose fearless and rebellious spirit was driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe, to give voice to the voiceless.
Directed by Matthew Heineman; Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci and Tom Hollander star.
I’ve always been intrigued by people drawn to such dangerous jobs. Especially since it’s so far removed from what I’d ever choose to do. I’m guessing a mixture of purpose and adrenaline are contributing factors to such a choice. Perhaps we’re about to find out.
Alexandra Moen, Corey Johnson, Raad Rawi, Jérémie Laheurte and Jesuthasan Antonythasan also star.
Directed by Saul Dibb, at the core of the story of Journey’s Endis the unfortunate disintegration of a young officers mental state.
Set in 1918 in Aisne, France; officer Stanhope (Sam Claflin) leads a group of British officers into a dugout where they must await their fate.
Also starring Paul Bettany, Tom Sturridge and Asa Butterfield, I was drawn to this movie as a Claflin fan, a fan who wanted to see him in a new type of role, a less romantic one. I have to say that Claflin’s portrayal of Stanthorpe’s struggles may just be my favourite of his performances yet. I appreciate the fact that his character isn’t fully likeable, yet one can’t help but forgive him.
Another reason I enjoyed this film is the truth it shares, unlike what I’m used to in most war films I’ve seen. I appreciate the way Journey’s End showed me an officers mental troubles while still at war, as opposed to once he’d returned home. Equally, I was taken by the attitude of Stanthorpe’s superior(s). Particularly how desensitised and seemingly numb they’d become to the unspoken truth of what was coming. In this way, among others, Journey’s End is a film that left me with plenty to think about. Especially pertaining to how I realised that I may not have truly grasped the meaning of what it is to ‘soldier on’ until after watching this film.
In my heart and mind, The Hurt Locker (2008)is still my favourite of the war films I’ve seen. However, Journey’s End is definitely one I’ll remember, for reasons including the performances and perspective I didn’t quite expect.
The Catcher Was A Spy is the story of a man in the midst of a double life; working both as a major league baseball player and a spy.
Directed by Ben Lewin, the key cast includes Paul Rudd, Connie Nielsen, Mark Strong and Sienna Miller.
I haven’t yet encountered a serious, non-comedic Paul Rudd movie that has me excited enough to see it; so deep is my appreciation of his comedic work.
Unlike Steve Carell and a few other actors known first for comedy, I’m just finding it hard to make the shift from a funny Rudd to a serious Rudd. I think it’ll take a film I simply can’t ignore for me to transition. Will The Catcher Was A Spy be that movie? I’m not sure yet, but I hope so.
Guy Pearce, Connie Nielsen, Jeff Daniels, Hiroyuki Sanada and Shea Whigham also star
The Yellow Birds (2018), Alden Ehrenreich, Tye Sheridan
In The Yellow Birds, two young soldiers, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war while one of them is tortured by a promise he made before their deployment.
Directed by Alexandre Moors; Jennifer Aniston, Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich and Toni Collette star.
What an exciting cast. I can’t wait to find out what the deep dark secret is.
Perhaps, The Yellow Birds will join The Hurt Locker (2018) as one of my favourite war movies.
The Movie My Life 