Mine (2016)

After a failed assassination attempt, a United States Marine finds himself stranded in the desert. Exposed to the elements, he must survive the dangers of the desert and battle the psychological and physical tolls of the treacherous conditions.

Directors:

Fabio Guaglione, Fabio Resinaro

Writers:

Fabio Guaglione (screenplay), Fabio Resinaro (screenplay)

Stars:

Armie Hammer, Annabelle Wallis, Tom Cullen

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Armie Hammer	...	Sgt. Michael Stevens
Annabelle Wallis	...	Jenny
Tom Cullen	...	Tommy Madison
Clint Dyer	...	Berber
Geoff Bell	...	Mike's Father
Juliet Aubrey	...	Mike's Mother
Inés Píñar Mille	...	Berber Girl
Luka Peros	...	Delta Force #1
Daniel Sandoval	...	Mike (Boy)
Agustín Rodríguez	...	Sayid Assiff
Yesarela Arzumendi	...	Beduin Bride
Manuel Medero	...	Beduin Groom
David Kirk Traylor	...	Commander Barton (voice)
Edoardo Hendrik	...	Radio Operator (voice) (as Edoardo Purgatori)

Storyline

In the middle of the desert, an area filled with 33 million blast mines scattered everywhere, marine sniper Sergeant Mike Stevens is on a mission to locate and neutralize the leader of a terrorist cell. After three months and six days in the desert, one single moment of hesitation is enough to blow the entire mission, and now Sergeant Stevens is stranded in a hostile guerrilla territory all alone, and to make matters worse, with his left foot on an active mine. Against the harsh environment, without water, the sergeant must stay glued to the spot and use his Marine training, his resourcefulness and his perseverance for the next 52 hours until a convoy arrives in his area. Between the scalding heat of the day and the freezing cold of the night, if Sergeant Stevens wants to survive, he must fight not only the mighty forces of nature but also the greatest adversary of them all: himself.

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Plot Keywords:

land mine | soldier | hallucination | desert | perseverance | 

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Taglines:

Stand Your Ground.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the role of US Marine Tommy Madison, Guaglione and Resinaro considered over 50 American actors, including Rami Malek, Adam Brody and Chris Zylka, before choosing British actor Tom Cullen.

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Goofs

Land mines tend to detonate when they are stepped on, not when they are released. Both marines should be dead or maimed about 22 minutes into the film.

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Quotes

[in intermittent flashback as Mike is struggling to reach the flare in the desert]
Jenny: [knighting Mike with a ladle in the kitchen] Do you thus pay homage to our crown and swear fealty on our realm?
Mike: [on one knee, smiling, then serious] Your highness, I hereby swear to be a courageous knight, reverent and courteous, always... champion of truth, and justice. I hereby swear to be honest, and good. I swear to protect our realm, and I swear this before you, my Princess.
Jenny: [...]

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Soundtracks

You Got to Keep Moving On
Performed by Elliot Friederich
Music by Andrea Bonini

User Reviews

Expect a lot of standing still in this movie

"You're a very lucky man. You step on a mine and it doesn't explode. You spend the night in the desert and the animals leave you alone. You're a very lucky man, Mike and Michael!"

Guess it wasn't that simple to do this. Making a film that focuses solely on an American marine named Mike (Armie Hammer) who stepped on a landmine and who doesn't dare to take any further steps. For 90 minutes, there's nothing else to see than this soldier who has to wait 52 hours for a patrol to help him. Help that comes too late for his partner Tommy (Tom Cullen). He won't be able to break the record on the 100 meter sprint, as both his legs are spread over a few square meters after walking on a landmine himself. And, in my opinion, the thought of a leg-less existence was too much for him as well. And now Mike is standing, kneeling and balancing there in the middle of the desert on an unexploded landmine, exposed to the elements of nature and from time to time deep in thought. The ultimate survival test.

So, don't expect real action-packed scenes in this movie. Only the delusions and flashbacks as Mike gets more and more tired, are presented in multitudes. And an odd, funny looking Berber shows up occasionally to bring water and have philosophical conversations with Mike. And afterwards he disappears again over the next dune. Whether this Berber is real or just a figment of his imagination, is hard to say. Certainly, he gives Mike something to hold onto so he won't go insane because of dehydration, the heat and lack of sleep.

Hammer's performance is solid and convincing. A man who tries to survive in dire circumstances and at the same time tries to come to terms with his past. A childhood filled with domestic violence from an aggressive, alcoholic father. To be honest, it's not hard to be the star of a movie when you're actually delivering some kind of solo performance and there's no other role that has a decisive impact on the movie. In this case, Hammer has the stage completely for himself and he can demonstrate the talent he has as an actor. And that is the most commendable of this film. Despite the intriguing concept, the content is too limited.

You can also interpret this movie in a metaphorical way. Everybody tend to end up in a so-called mine field once in his lifetime. A difficult period in which making a thoughtful decision is necessary. But because of the fear of taking risks, one freezes and is scared of taking that next, crucial step. Sometimes it may be advisable to take a next step, although there are consequences, instead of standing still. A tremendous dilemma Mike is facing and something the enigmatic Gerber tries to explain to him all the time. Due to the subject and the total lack of action, you may call this a boring movie. At one point, one hopes that this bloody landmine would explodes. Just to stir up the tension. And yet, this movie managed to hold my attention and curiosity. Never thought that a non-exploding landmine could be so intriguing. And again, praise for Armie Hammer and his commendable performance.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/2qtGQoc

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Spain Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mine

Filming Locations:

Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,788,934

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Safran Company, Roxbury, Sun Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1