I won't make many new friends with this review...
I understand how many of you want to love this film for its honesty and gripping gun battles but taking you to a one dimensional emotional peak isn't deep story telling. Real life events so recent in many survivors minds shouldn't be for the pleasures of a western audience.
If something with the title Mosul was to be attempted from a proper perspective the flood of refugees and the problems created in the region had to be told. The political context needed some exposition. The ideology of the enemy needed to inform the discretion of the viewer. And so many other sub-plots during the reign of ISIS. Viewers instead are unfairly giving this a 10 for the heart wrenching loss of life and emotional anguish.
American contributions and losses are overlooked entirely and that's ok if it is a story about Iraqi factions coming together but a stylized attrition of the team as they got gunned down and a better researched ending as to who made it out might have worked better.
I keep hearing the word documentary, its no such thing if so many components of the story, region, time, people are missing - its the POV view of one team of ex police through the lens of a journalist.
A great tragedy when unknown and forgotten people die over a desolate wasteland. This story should be told again, another way.
Still worth watching.
I understand how many of you want to love this film for its honesty and gripping gun battles but taking you to a one dimensional emotional peak isn't deep story telling. Real life events so recent in many survivors minds shouldn't be for the pleasures of a western audience.
If something with the title Mosul was to be attempted from a proper perspective the flood of refugees and the problems created in the region had to be told. The political context needed some exposition. The ideology of the enemy needed to inform the discretion of the viewer. And so many other sub-plots during the reign of ISIS. Viewers instead are unfairly giving this a 10 for the heart wrenching loss of life and emotional anguish.
American contributions and losses are overlooked entirely and that's ok if it is a story about Iraqi factions coming together but a stylized attrition of the team as they got gunned down and a better researched ending as to who made it out might have worked better.
I keep hearing the word documentary, its no such thing if so many components of the story, region, time, people are missing - its the POV view of one team of ex police through the lens of a journalist.
A great tragedy when unknown and forgotten people die over a desolate wasteland. This story should be told again, another way.
Still worth watching.