Tigerland
Joel Schumacher is the weirdest director around. He screwed himself royally with Batman & Robin (there’s a bold title that’s unlikely to become a review link any time soon, lol) but then went in force into a series of movies that seem determined to prove he can do anything. Veronica Guerin, Flawless, 8MM, Phone Booth, and the forthcoming Phantom of the Opera... and this, a handheld documentary-ish Vietnam movie, in a time when Vietnam movies for once seem passé...
It’s incredible how many classic movies there are in the Vietnam genre… it’s incredible that Vietnam can even be called a genre, but I think it can. This movie is reminiscent mostly of Full Metal Jacket but it contains elements of many others. The most notable element in it though is Colin Farrell’s performance. His anti-authority character is truly something I haven’t seen before. This is how I would most likely act if I was forced to go to war. But he has too few moments, and towards the end I lost interest as it seemed he was too easily converted into succombing to commands. But the few great moments he has really made me sit up and watch.
I can’t really say much more about it… it didn’t turn the way I wanted it to. It’s a movie I know I should watch again, for this reason, now I know where it’s going, I might give it more leeway. But right now it stands as just another Vietnam movie, long after the great Vietnam movie wave has ended (Casualties of War was the last, and, as far as I’m concerned, the greatest, as far as I’m concerned)... but it did nothing to detrement my opinion of Farrell.