Directed by:
Peter BergScreenplay:
Peter BergCinematography:
Tobias A. SchliesslerCast:
Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Ali Suliman, Alexander Ludwig, Sammy Sheik, Scott Elrod, Rohan Chand, Marcus Luttrell (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
No-holds-barred combat drama written and directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg. The film follows a group of four US Navy SEALs as they are deployed on a mission to kill or capture Ahmed Shahd (Yousuf Azami), a formidable Taliban leader. While working carefully to avoid detection, the team are spotted by a local goat herder and his two sons. Faced with the tough decision between killing them, an act that would be against the Geneva Conventions, and setting them free, which would potentially compromise their cover, the team choose the humane but risky option. But when one of the boys informs the local Taliban of the SEALs' whereabouts it isn't long before the team are engaged in a bloody and ferocious battle. The ensemble cast includes Emile Hirsch, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Eric Bana. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (11)
I suspect an agitational order from the Department of Defense selling one of its "based on a true story" films. I do not deny the power of the plot, nor the willingness to bow before the fallen and salute the bereaved. From the middle onwards, I was just terribly annoyed by Berg's direction, which pushes pathos out of the screen (in slow-mo so long that it borders on parody), gradually losing contact with the protagonists, who become nothing more than bodies falling from rocks, covered in bloody welts. The first contact, without music and with a "predator" camera, is flawless, but I simply don't think the constant subjective close-ups of faces create the right action military drama. In the final act, I felt ashamed for the creators. It’s only functional as an acted intermezzo for "Medal of Honor."
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The introduction is OK. The middle – and longest – survival part of the film is stunning, visually well-arranged and efficiently conveyed, with several chillingly brutal scenes. The climax is ridiculously simplistic political propaganda for the average US viewer. Overall, Lone Survivor is good film for relaxation, but it will sink into oblivion as fast as all of Peter Berg’s action flicks.
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It is closest in its formal concept to Black Hawk Down, but it doesn't have the same quality action or the same narrative value. Peter Berg made it for blokes, but he only managed to create a mediocre raw survival action flick where marines, shot up like a sieve, fly around rocks and perform all kinds of stunts that you can imagine. He was able to create a good military atmosphere, and has observed and listened, but unfortunately the ending terrible, similar to Tears of the Sun, to which is this one is very similar in terms of the screenplay.
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From 40 minutes on, the film is action packed with nonstop brutal war scenes! The tension builds as fast as the clearing of enemy heads. The excellent direction and cinematography ensure a painful trip that will make you squirm like the four main protagonists. Each of them plays their role very convincingly. Mark Wahlberg is sharp as ever, Emile Hirsch is strong and sensitive, Taylor Kitsch decently handles the difficult decisions as the leader, and Ben Foster is terrifyingly cold but compassionate. I must highlight the breathtaking camera shots of the four soldiers falling off the cliff, they were gritty and raw and gave the film a great edge. Peter Berg did a good job with the premise and the execution. After the second screening I enjoyed the film much more, so I raise to 5*. 90%.
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Peter Berg knows how to shoot a proper action movie for men who leave their handkerchiefs at home and go watch a real shootout. However, in this movie, he portrayed one real story, which he filmed in an absolutely unlikely way. It is so unrealistic that it is striking even for me. And I’m usually not that hard to please. It’s unbelievable what the guys survived. The height from which they fell, the number of bullets they dodged and the number of bullets in their body with which they managed to hobble away. Incredible. Despite the fact that the whole way up the hill was stretched in a really stupid way. It’s a real pity that it was so stupid, because everything else was working. Including the amazing expressive music from Explosions in the Sky as well as the Navy Seals unit full of tough guys.
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