A hell of true and sad story that is the Afghanistan War. An original Netflix production always attracts me, and having Brad Pitt on board playing this unique character made it a must see movie in my case.
Brad Pitt played the role of the general perfectly, honestly better then what I expected from Pitt.
It isn't the action packed comedy true story that I was expecting, a bit slower then I hoped and it is the realization of the US War Machine in action. I was hoping for some of happy ending but didn't get what I was expecting, but still it was a good movie even though a bit on the slow side.
I am extremely surprised by this film, I expected Fury or Bastards. I really liked this. I find the description blurp "a rock star general bent on ..." to be an incredibly poor description.
Pitt is a caricature of a modern Patton, there are a number of troupe characters that surround him, he has a marriage, he has his legacy, his "impossible" mission, it's a train wreck with Obama, cable news, leaks, "nation building" and such. Pretty good armchair primer on the issues for a lot of people and a good watch.
I see more of an easy to swallow Catch 22 meets Strange Love meets modernized Patton.
At times I wished it would cut loose on political commentary, but it does a good job.
This movie depicts a bitter truth in a witty way, many who don't like to swallow bitter pills would not find it funny. Brad Pitt really came out of his comfort zone and played interesting character very well. I guess he is now on a path to grow old gracefully and to open himself for a characters like this one.
You need to have specific sense of humour to be amused, most people will never understand the idea.
why is Brad Pitt playing his character as if he's just had a stroke??
The film struggles to know whether its comedy or drama, but then, ironically, such is the nature of war itself. While this satire doesn't quite work, not helped by Pitt's uneven pantomime character, there is a welcome sense of poignancy by the end.
Honestly, I expected more. The comedy was few and far between, but perhaps the fact that Brad Pitt was pulling stupid facial expressions the entire time is considered funny. I can understand what they were trying to achieve, but realistically - it fell far below the bar. It was awkward to watch and not very interesting.
Brad Pitt played too pretentious and pompous, no general was what he played, he was not a general, he was a fool cooking squad leader with a stalk on his neck, although his hair was dyed white, but Pete didn't seem to have fought a battle, and his performance was too bad.
Was there any meaning to the War in Afghanistan, beyond what American military men and politicians gave it?
This is the kind of question that War Machine tries to raise, but the only thing that seems to shine through in this patchwork-like war film is Michôd's fear of going too far with his criticisms - at least until the third act. What results a film less about sending up the American military complex and more an absurdist satire that alternates between being dry, frustrating, playful and witty... and perhaps a little poignant.
We know from the get-go that Brad Pitt's General McMahon and his band of merry men will not succeed, but it's almost like the movie isn't sure how to sell the journey to that final payoff. Should it be satirical, or should it be absurdist? Not even the actors seem sure. For example, Pitt plays the General with a tongue-in-cheek pantomime style, but at the same time doesn't feel as extreme in his flaws as a satire would require until he's faced with the possibility of "not winning". On the other hand, the narration from critical journalist Sean Cullen (played by Scoot McNairy) feels extremely on-the-nose and constantly risks undermining the plot or any philosophical questions that may arise. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' score is stunning, alternating between a sort of playfulness and dark reflection, but often leads to comedic scenes feeling more po-faced than farcical.
Perhaps this is all intentional, to parallel the absurd, confusing nature of wartime bureaucracy, but I do wonder if the movie would've benefited from a stronger absurdist tone or a stronger examination of what it seeks to satirise. It can sometimes feel like it's being too affectionate and humanising towards McMahon (and the war machine he represents) to be entirely satirical, especially in the first half.
The aforementioned first half plays out in a languishing slow dance (especially if you're not a fan of light ribbing at men-in-suits and militaristic machismo) but begins to gain greater focus in the second half. The third act is an almost nihilistic meditation of the horrors of war, and its in these final moments where Cave and Ellis' score really shines. It's also where the film begins to scratch the surface of the consequences of McMahon's "win-at-all-costs" mentality and the meaninglessness of his mission - and perhaps his existence. Even though McMahon comes out of his downfall seemingly unchanged, his unceremonious exit still leaves you pondering the nature of war, personal legacy, and American nationalism in a changing world. At least, it would... if Cullen's final monologue didn't bludgeon viewers over the head with its own ponderings.
Overall, War Machine is an interesting but flawed take on modern war satire. It shifts between absurdity and absurdism, and sometimes feels as disorienting as its subject matter - for better or for worse.
This movie is like the running technique from Glen, a fucking mess. I dont know what this movie is trying to say or achieve.
This movie started out being funny, then the humor became less and less around an hour or so in, and it started becoming much more serious. Brad Pitt was perfect in this role, and the movie was fantastic.
I love brad Pitt but this wasn’t my cup of tea
Suffered through the first 50 minutes of this before switching it off - about 49 minutes too late! I like Brad Pitt, but this is sooooo bad he should have his name removed from it.
Very boring!!! This is not interesting!
If you understand the humor and of course it is your humor the movie is actually really really good.
Shout by DurackBlockedParent2022-01-06T10:45:15Z
I'm watching this movie for the first time in January 2022 and let me tell you that it has aged like a fine wine.
This movie is even funnier at this point in time after the recent fuck-up in Afghanistan by the newly elected Biden administration in the US. Basically, since August 2021 Taliban has taken back and rules Afghanistan, again! Today, the Afghan Republic (2001-2021) only exists in a Wikipedia article. Good work US Democrats, you absolute muppets! :rofl:
This movie captures the sentiment among the US troops including the disdain they had for politicians and bureaucrats. This movie is also based on a true story. The name of Brad Pitt's character is changed here to a different one. The real general they are portraying is general Stanley Allen McChrystal.