War Machine

My mother taught me there are three types of machines in this world: sex machines, time machines, and war machines. The first two have their practical uses in society. The third, however, should be tossed in Goodwill's dollar bin. Nestled there between Inglorious Basterds and Tomb Raider under "Because You Watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith," it will lure you in with its dreamy Brad Pitt eyes. Its dreamy Brad Pitt smile. Its dreamy Brad Pitt coif. But will leave you with naught but sand in your shoes.

Some highs, some lows. It happened.

Interesting look at the impossible situation in Afghanistan from the point of view of a General and his men.

Decent enough movie with a unique take on military leadership, one that you don't see very often. You think of generals like Patton and Rommel, guys who have a plan and are behind important strategic decisions, but here, McMahon is a just another cog in a beaurocratic nightmare, with all the frustration and helplessness that comes with.

good movie

Rise and fall of a strange old war dude that happens just another tool in the industry of war -- he is there not actually to keep things rolling, but to end it. As a true WAR DUDE, he can't help act in favor of his troops and set things in motion as if he were on an actual battlefield against enemies in suits -- instead, he sees himself in a place where they are just the invaders full of empty promises. Michod can't quite set the right war satire performances, but most of the cast actually work.

While it has some decent comedy, it's kind of a mess. Pitt's great as Lt. Aldo Raine/McChrystal and a lot of the other actors did a fine job. But overall, it just sort of rambles from scene to scene with little discernible purpose in moving forward other than the hot take that nation building isn't working out too well for the world. I can't say the movie was a waste, but it was definitely a disappointment.

It's a weird film but it hit the right notes for me.

The character of General Glen McMahon, as portrayed by Brad Pitt, seems less a representation of Stanley McChrystal and more a blend of Lieutenant Aldo Raine, General Buck Turgidson, and (Chief Petty Officer?) Popeye T. SailorMan.

It's decent and interesting but falls flat in some ways. Doesn't have a whole lot of life to it, nor is it that funny for something that is supposed to be a dramedy. But still worth a watch if you want something that subverts some war movie conventions.

This was a biting examination of the role of the US military in it's vain efforts to control an insurgency situation. I know there were many aspects elevated to the extreme, but despite that, it highlights the unenviable position of conducting a military operation that is doomed from the start. This should be required viewing for all military men in command, because it emphasizes how easily good intentions and training for a particular task does not always fit a real life situation.

solid 2.5/5. not too bad, not too good - a typical popcorn flick. i have finished that movie in one whole day, travelled around the city, spent time with pets, had dinner while watching it yet i think i have missed nothing. presenting useful perspective about the basics of how elongated war in afghanistan affected us institutions. the movie also tries to present a comparison between civilian and military mindset for policy-making, but there is nothing more unique than a bunch of cliche.

never thought I would see a movie that said the taliban was not real. Totally leftest crap. WHY. Ever since World War 2 America should never be involved in anything. Maybe we should invade Hollywood.

First of all, if you need a hamfisted narrator to assure the audience that this movie is very anti-war and definitely does not want to glamorize anyone involved, then you probably don't have a good movie. Doesn't help that Pitt's Homer-Simpson-as-Tom-Waits persona is just grating. Yeah, there are glimmers here and there but the level of elitist self-righteousness kinda turns away even ideologically congruent viewers. The only thing worthwhile about this entire movie is Ben Kingsley as Karzai.

What a disappointment. Star members of the cast are the worst offenders and the script just doesn't deliver.

54.50

Interesting and has some laughs in there, but it looses its way and steam fast, trying to be both Dr. Strangelove and Jarhead. Ben Kingsley in a minor role is pretty funny though.

US efforts in the middle east after 9-11 in a nutshell. The consequences of stupidity, irrationality, and politics are worst in war.

Extremely underwhelming considering there is some legit talent here. It meanders painfully and is quite a bore sometimes.

I actually forgot that I watched this one 2 days after viewing and I guess that sais enough about it. Although it has some decent bits, the tone is off and cant make a proper point.

"Hollywood has left us devoid of any understanding of the escalating global chaos. That is until now. A remarkable new film, War Machine starring Brad Pitt, which at first whiff sounds like a gonzo-type war movie, brilliantly portrays these themes outlined above. David Michod, the Australian writer and director, and Netflix have made a movie that is both dark and satirical, emotional and belly-laugh funny"

The movie is a satire attempt. But, there so much cliche (on acting, screenplay), and there's such a great focus on trying to make the military look stupid that the movie kinda ends up making fun of itself. The movie intended, as a main message, to raise some questions about the US occupation of other coutries, but this message is overlooked. That annoying narration that tries to define what's the right way to think. Bad screenplay, poor edition. It's a moralist work - this is netflix.

Great anti-war propaganda. Did not attract much attention from the media but still a great movie.

Falls flat.

Brad Pitt's facial expressions steal this movie. Seriously though Pitt along with the rest of the cast were very much on point with some great bits of humor. IMO the main flaw seems to be just how talky it was. I wish they would have showed more instead. A great example being when they try to take Helmand province. The audience gets a better example of why the war isn't winnable and that juxtaposition to General McMahon's career affirming hubristic determination is really the heart of the film.

gives us good knowledge about the harsh realities of life, and illusionary mistakes we might be making

Has a valid point to make but it is inconsistent in tone, ranging from Brad Pitts over the top General played for comic effect to the tragedy of the young marine questioning who the enemy is. The mix didn't quite work for me.

War Machine is made enjoyable solely by the entire casts' performances. There are some poignant moments, there are some funny ones, but the tone and pace are all over the place resulting in a film that feels uneven. The satire is heavy handed, and the events still fairly recent, thus the message is lost in its redundancy.

katılınası cümleleri olan vasat bir satir war machine, ama şiddeti estetize ederek savaşı *lanetleyen* filmlerin yanında çok daha akıllı bir yaklaşımı var ve bu takdir edilesi bir durum. ortaya iyi ya da kötü karakter sunmuyor olması tüm bu sürecin kişileri değil sistemsel problemi işaret ettiğini söylüyor olması asıl önemli yanı fakat eksik olan bir dokunuşu var, kendisini çok daha önemli yapabilecek olan.

By now, we all have seen Brad Pitt ham-it-up, thus making the War Machine a bit tired from the start. As it progresses, the film proves to be tonally inconsistent and not all that funny. Instead, the thesis (as laid out by Tilda Swinton) probably falls on deaf ears: part of the country refuses to hear it while the other part feels as if it is obvious and redundant.