I don't know the book this film is based on.
But the script is so poor that this is probably the WORST war related film I've seen in my 60 years of life.
And to anyone who knows Sam Mendes work: you won't find anything to tell you this was the work of the same guy who directed such jewels as 'American Beauty' and 'Road to Perdition'. None! Probably some find the Marine training and jargon attractive enough. But if the motivation is that, then you have better film such as Full Metal Jacket, to just mention one.
Not even the performances by Jake Gyllenhall or Jamie Foxx can save this extremely poor movie, centered on a sniper not having the opportunity to shoot another human being and 'seeing the red mist'. Go figure!
But the script is so poor that this is probably the WORST war related film I've seen in my 60 years of life.
And to anyone who knows Sam Mendes work: you won't find anything to tell you this was the work of the same guy who directed such jewels as 'American Beauty' and 'Road to Perdition'. None! Probably some find the Marine training and jargon attractive enough. But if the motivation is that, then you have better film such as Full Metal Jacket, to just mention one.
Not even the performances by Jake Gyllenhall or Jamie Foxx can save this extremely poor movie, centered on a sniper not having the opportunity to shoot another human being and 'seeing the red mist'. Go figure!