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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

We're gonna liberate the shit out of you.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie has clear references to the real events took place in between the appointment in 2009 and resignation in 2010 of General Stanley A. McChrystal as the ISAF commander. (For those who are familiar with that particular period, this movie will give the impression of a humorous documentary, and the background voice of the Rolling Stone Magazine journalist throughout the movie can be said to increase this feeling.)

---

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.

---

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.

---

Connections

Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Glenn Close/Topher Grace/Low Cut Connie (2018)

---

Soundtracks

The Show (Inner View)
Written by Madlib (as Otis Jackson Jr.), Paul Nyirongo, Bola Johnson
Performed by Madlib
Courtesy of Madlib Invazion

User Reviews

ups and downs

Gen. Glen McMahon (Brad Pitt) is no non-sense soldier. He lives a Spartan life often away from his family. He and his team such as the always shouting Greg Pulver (Anthony Michael Hall) are called in to cleanup the Afganistan quagmire. He is told to push the needle and not request for more troops. Instead, he is driven to win and sees his way where everyone else has failed. He uses any means to get his way while not getting his meeting with Obama. He finds President Karzai (Ben Kingsley), an isolated corrupt leader. Media consultant Matt Little (Topher Grace) suggests getting him an article in Rolling Stones.

This dark comedy is too real to be funny. If Strangelove actually happened, the absurd movie would be less fun. One is always reminded that real people died here and there because the character of McMahon is based on a real person. While there are interesting bits, the general sense of this movie is one of tired resignation.

I don't know if it's the Rolling Stones reporter but I'm reminded of Almost Famous. In that movie, the reporter is the protagonist and he's the eyes with which the audience sees the story. The rock star is a subject who is slowly revealed. In this movie, we are given only the narration of reporter Sean Cullen for the most part. He shows up for a limited role later in the movie. McMahon is the protagonist and we're stuck with him for good and for ill.

Of all the characters, the most compelling is the 'confused' Marine Cpl. Billy Cole. His first scene with McMahon is devastating. His face is haunting. What he says resonates more than any other character. In the end, he is a minor character. His other scene is another compelling sequence as his squad goes into a hostile town. Again he is more compelling than anyone else and it is emotionally draining. This movie could have been great but McMahon can't be the protagonist. He is an absurd side character like Karzai in this movie.

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