Saturday, June 21, 2008

Under Fire

Author(s): Ryne
Location: Portland


"Under Fire"


Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by William Broyle Jr
Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski
Art Direction by Stuart Craig

Main Cast

Colin Hanks as Thomas Krudle
Michelle Williams as Elizabeth Krudle
Chris Bridges as Andrew Lawrence
Patrick Wilson as Brandon Gram
Jake Epstein as Greg Adams
David Morse as General Timothy Anderson
Thandie Newton as Rebecca Lawrence

Tagline: "Four Friends. One Forgotten War"

Synopsis: What’s it like to fight in a war overshadowed by excuses? To fight in a war where you arrive home, and people assume you fought in a different place? To fight in a forgotten war? Under Fire tells the story of four friends fighting in the Afghan war and their love ones at home.

As soon as the first plane hit the World Trade Center, Thomas Krudle (Hanks) believed he owed it to those who perished to help find those responsible for their deaths. He had been a member of the army reserve since he graduated college at the age of twenty-one, but never saw any military action. Thomas informs his wife, Elizabeth (Williams), that he wants to help find Osama bin Laden and the rest of Al-Qaeda. Elizabeth is deeply troubled by the idea of her husband going to war, but understands this is something he must do. Thomas is deployed to Afghanistan the next week where he is assigned to the 107th infantry division. To his surprise, Thomas discovers his former college roommate, Andrew Lawrence (Bridges), has also been assigned to the 107th infantry. Andrew reveals to Thomas that his mother and father were both in the airplane that struck the pentagon. He continues to explain how his wife, Rebecca (Newton), was slowly dying from leukemia and his mother-in-law is currently caring for her. After some catching up, the two men report to their tent where they meet their roommates, Brandon Gram (Wilson) and Greg Adams (Epstein). Brandon had been stationed in Israel for five years, but was relocated to Afghanistan the day after 9/11. He is an intransigent jingo who never once questioned the morality of war. Recently turned twenty year old Greg is a friendly young man who believes war is never the answer. The sole reason he enlisted in the army was the anxiety he felt that he would greatly disappoint his highly conservative parents. Their commanding officer, General Timothy Anderson (Morse), reveals himself as a stern, authoritarian figure, but in actuality, he cares deeply about each member of his division. The mission of the 107th is to aid and assist the Northern Alliance in their quest to over throw the Taliban. They leave the next morning and their story of liberating Afghanistan from the suppressive rule of the Taliban is intertwined with the story of Elizabeth and Andrew’s dying wife. Under Fire is a heart-wrenching look at a forgotten war and the effects it has on the loved ones at home.

What the Press would say:

Ridley Scott’s new masterpiece Under Fire is a cunning tale of the aftermath of 9/11. It brilliantly depicts the emotions of America and of the soldiers fighting in this so-called “forgotten war”. Filmed on location in Afghanistan, Under Fire uses dazzling cinematography and amazing set decoration to create tension throughout the entire film. Ridley Scott directs this picture to perfection. He doesn’t make the film too patriotic nor does he make light of the war. He runs a middle ground that is exactly what we as a country need. Scott is able to get the most out of his actors, which takes this movie to a new level. Colin Hanks marvelously portrays the lead character, Thomas Krudle. Hanks’ ability to make the subtlest changes in his tone causes a tingle to go down my spine. When Thomas is in a group of comrades, Hanks illustrates his strength and leadership perfectly. However, when Thomas is alone, Hanks depicts his fear and grief miraculously. He takes his first step towards living up to the shadow casted by his father. Michelle Williams give a tremendous performance as the lonely wife Elizabeth. She cunningly conveys the emotions and strength that come with having a spouse in the military. The rapper turned actor, Chris Bridges, give a great performance as Thomas’ best friend during his service. Bridges’ work in Under Fire rivals even his terrific and underrated performance in Crash. He makes Andrew restrain his emotions, which is both powerful, and heart breaking. The haunting and callous performance of Patrick Wilson is by far one of the best of the year. He brilliantly depicts the tenacious jingo that is Brandon Gram. He completely submerges himself in this role and should be rewarded with his first Oscar nomination. The young Canadian, Jake Epstein, demonstrates to us why he is one of the up and coming actors in cinema. Look out for him in a couple of years. However great these performances are, the best performance comes from Thandie Newton. She gives a courageous performance as Rebecca. She is able to make the audience look beyond the cancer that slowly killing her and view her as a normal, everyday woman. Newton gives slight hints that Rebecca is going to make a full recovery although the audience is never told if she does or doesn’t. It’s that brilliance in Ridley Scott’s direction that makes this one of the best movies in this young millennium. We cry when the characters cry, we anger when they anger and most of all, we applaud when the credits role. Overall, Under Fire is the next great war movie and is sure to be the frontrunner in many categories come awards time.

FYC:

Best Picture
Best Director (Ridley Scott)
Best Actor (Colin Hanks)
Best Actress (Michelle Williams)
Best Supporting Actor (Chris Bridges)
Best Supporting Actor (Patrick Wilson)
Best Supporting Actress (Thandie Newton)
Best Original Screenplay (William Broyle Jr)

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