I really wanted to like this documentary but it frequently tried my patience throughout its bloated running time. Curtis takes an important topic (the oversimplification of the Afghanistan conflict by western media and politicians) and makes an absolute hash of engaging the viewer.
In trying to go for atmosphere over narrative Mr Curtis has given us a film peppered with beautiful, horrific and funny individual moments that seem to have no place in the narrative. They seem to be there because they tickle Curtis in some way. Which is fine in a the sense that this is listed as an experimental documentary, but one can't help feeling there are strands that should have been bulked up. The British officer talking about how the Uk military on the ground had completely misidentified their enemy and were being used as pawns by local tribes - more of this please.
The soldier delighting in being able to have a bird sit on his helmet? Lovely, but not really worth the indulgent screen-time Curtis gives it. There are numerous other examples of flabby editing throughout the piece.
I think we can call this experiment an ambitious failure.
In trying to go for atmosphere over narrative Mr Curtis has given us a film peppered with beautiful, horrific and funny individual moments that seem to have no place in the narrative. They seem to be there because they tickle Curtis in some way. Which is fine in a the sense that this is listed as an experimental documentary, but one can't help feeling there are strands that should have been bulked up. The British officer talking about how the Uk military on the ground had completely misidentified their enemy and were being used as pawns by local tribes - more of this please.
The soldier delighting in being able to have a bird sit on his helmet? Lovely, but not really worth the indulgent screen-time Curtis gives it. There are numerous other examples of flabby editing throughout the piece.
I think we can call this experiment an ambitious failure.