War Machine (2017)

An idiosyncratic general confronts opposition from enemies, allies, and bureaucrats while leading a massive rebuilding operation in Afghanistan.

Director:

David Michôd

Writers:

Michael Hastings (book), David Michôd (screenplay)

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Daniel Betts, John Magaro

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Glen McMahon
Daniel Betts	...	Simon Ball
John Magaro	...	Cory Staggart
Emory Cohen	...	Willy Dunne
RJ Cyler	...	Andy Moon
Topher Grace	...	Matt Little
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Greg Pulver
Anthony Hayes	...	Pete Duckman
Nicholas Maude	...	British Officer
Paolo Gasparini	...	Plotti Balotti
Andrew Byron	...	Vladislav Melnik
Alan Ruck	...	Pat Mackinnon
Nicholas Jones	...	Dick Waddle
Griffin Dunne	...	Ray Canucci
Aykut Hilmi	...	Afghan Bureaucrat

Storyline

A general from the U.S. is sent to Afghanistan to "clean" the situation up after eight years of war in the country. He finds himself among tired soldiers and disillusioned politicians eager to leave. In this situation, he feels his mission is to "win" the war, something deemed impossible by everyone around him.

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Plot Keywords:

afghanistan | satire | counter insurgency | foreign affairs | soldier | 

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Taglines:

We're gonna liberate the shit out of you.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in the war room where General Glen McMahon (Brad Pitt) briefs his team about launching the operation on Kandahar/Helmand, before approaching Karzai for permission to execute, Foxy can be seen around the map table. Foxy is a television adviser for production in high risk situations. Featured in "SAS: Who Dares Wins", a military reality competition on ITV. He is a real special forces veteran with experience in Afghanistan while serving with the Royal Marines and the Special Boat Service.

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Goofs

When the general (and his subs) is asking everyone to vacate individual offices and instead share one big space, one American soldier says that Austria only has 2 men in the war aka "Coalition of the Willing". Austria is a neutral country and was not part to this war.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sean Cullen: [voiceover] Ah, America. You beacon of composure and proportionate response, you bringer of calm and goodness to the world... What do you do when the war you're fighting just can't possibly be won in any meaningful sense? Well, obviously, you sack the guy not winning it and you bring in some other guy. In 2009, that war was Afghanistan, and that other guy... was Glen.

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Connections

Featured in ACS France (2018)

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Soundtracks

Kamee
Written by Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Performed by Hans-Joachim Roedelius (as Roedelius)
Courtesy of Sky Records
By arrangement with Bureau B

User Reviews

Excellent self-criticism

Everything I saw about the movie before I saw the movie pointed to a bold critique of US foreign policy and war politics, so I didn't expect an action filled nail-biter. It did deliver what I expected, and did so phenomenally. The issues the movie brings up and the things the characters said really, truly couldn't have been said more openly and directly. As the narrator would have you know, it's going to fall on deaf ears where it matters the most, granted, but it's one heck of a catharsis session all the same.

Where the progression of events gets too slow, the brilliant acting comes to the rescue. Pitt's performance didn't look to me as smooth and believable as it used to be, but Tilda Swinton and Ben Kingsley blew my mind. With their impeccable accents and spot on mannerisms, it was near impossible to tell they were just actors (save for their very familiar faces). There were a few pretty funny lines, too.

To anyone who doesn't mind listening to dialogue and watching out for subtle goings-on, this movie is a must, MUST see.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Pushto

Release Date:

26 May 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Operators

Filming Locations:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hurwitz Creative, Netflix, Plan B Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1