If you liked 'W' you'll hate 'Green Zone' politics

MOVIE REVIEW: Green Zone, Alice in Wonderland

By Andy McKinney
Gazette/Connection Critic

Matt Damon, serious actor/writer and rising action star, is teamed for the third time with director Paul Greengrass in “Green Zone.” The pair collaborated on the two most recent of the Bourne movies, “Bourne Supremacy” and “Bourne Ultimatum.” Both of these ventures were very successful; people gladly exchanged their movie money for the vicarious thrills of watching Jason Bourne work out his problems. This is not in any way Bourne 4.

In the Bourne movies, Damon played a spy gone rogue in order to solve a murderous conspiracy involving an evil, off the books faction of the CIA. In “Green Zone” he plays a rogue soldier who is trying to solve a murderous conspiracy involving an evil White House apparatchik. In a spectacular twist of Hollywood irony, Damon is aided by a virtuous CIA agent in attempting to thwart the White House bad guy.

Greengrass can put together a gripping and exciting action sequence, but it isn’t enough to carry the film. Writer Brian Helgeland is the pen behind many films, from “Nightmare on Elm Street 4” to the well reviewed “L.A. Confidential.” But “Green Zone" will not be the film that puts Helgeland, at last, into the ranks of blockbuster writers.

This film is being advertised as a thriller, an action film full of loud noises and colorful explosions. In reality, it is a political hit piece on the Bush administration. After viewing the film, polling shows that about one third of the viewers rated the film an “A” and a similar number rated it as an “F.” This is very unusual.  Most films have the ratings bunches.

The body politic is divided in a similar manner between avid supporters and staunch detractors of the Bush administration. The split is more of a rating of particular political views than as a reaction to the actual film, which is middling at best, in spite of the excellent action sequences. I heard someone say as he left the theater, “I hope George [President Bush] goes to jail.” This is not what a director wants his public to say. Something like, “Wow, that was great,” is more appreciated.

Somehow Hollywood continues to find money, $100 million plus the advertising budget in this case, to make war movies that portray America in a poor and false light. In a film about the Iraq war it is hard to make money if the most sympathetic character, aside from the star, is an Iraqi patriot, a maimed veteran of the war with Iran, who murders another, unarmed, Iraqi in cold blood. Poor Greg Kinnear, an actor of depth, is stuck playing the political operative who lied America into war and murdered people who knew the truth. There is a sloppy journalist who has her eyes fixed firmly on a Pulitzer and not on the truth. A murderous Iraqi general is portrayed as the last best hope for peace.

The “R” rated “Green Zone” has pulled in only $28 million in seven days of release worldwide. This movie will be a dead loss for its producers and backers. I give it a disappointing two saw blades, and that only for the action scenes. See a date movie this week instead.

Also seen this week is the latest incarnation of “ Alice in Wonderland.” It must be better in 3-D. I found it only average, save for the typically quirky and, face it, wonderful, performance by Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. It is fun to watch, but a trifle dark for the wee ones. It is not Disney.