Lone Survivor
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Eric Bana.
Rated R for strong bloody war violence and pervasive language.
Director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom) has chosen to adapt the true story of a failed US Navy SEALs operation that occurred in Afghanistan in 2005 as told by the one man that lived to tell the story, Marcus Luttrell. This film contains some of the most intense and realistic scenes of modern warfare. What is depicted on screen is both brutal and tragic, yet the brotherhood that these heroes share is inspiring.
Lone Survivor follows Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and his team of skilled SEALs led by Mike Murphy (a solid Taylor Kitsch). The team is dispatched to take out a high ranking Taliban official, but when they encounter a group of goat herders with Taliban ties, they must make a choice: kill these unarmed non-combatants or let them go. The group argues what is to be done even though all of them are aware what the rules of engagement dictate be done. After weighing their options, Murphy makes the call to let them go free and attempt to reestablish communications with their base commander so that they may be extracted out of the field. Within 45 minutes they are completely surrounded by numerous Taliban soldiers thirsty for American blood. What was supposed to be a routine mission turns in to the ultimate battle for survivor with dire consequences.
The film does not spend too much time diving into what makes these characters tick, but that's not the point of the story. Lone Survivor is about the bond that is formed among these elite soldiers. The cast all steps up to fill in their roles very well. The two performances that stood out to me were those of Taylor Kitsch and Ben Foster. Foster is a firecracker. I've been a fan of his since his excellent turn in 3:10 to Yuma and he brings the same intensity to this film. Excellent cast all around.
Director Peter Berg opens the film by showing us what it takes to become a Navy SEAL. The point is well made...these are not your ordinary enlisted men. The film will take your through a wide range of emotions: frustration, disbelief, despair, and relief. What is the most surprising is some acts of unexpected mercy and kindness in the film's final moments. The action is intensely real and, at times, hard to watch. I still feel that Black Hawk Down set the bar for realistic depictions of modern warfare (not including WWII epics), but Lone Survivor definitely lives up to that standard. This is a remarkable true story and the best war film we've seen in years.
RATING: A
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