War Machine 2017

We're gonna liberate the sh** out of you.

5.591 / 10   1088 vote(s)
R
Comedy Drama War

A rock star general bent on winning the “impossible” war in Afghanistan takes us inside the complex machinery of modern war. Inspired by the true story of General Stanley McChrystal.

Homepage https://www.netflix.com/title/80068327
Release Date 2017-05-26
Runtime 2h 2m
Directors David Michôd, Dariusz Wolski, Matthew Gray
Producers Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Ian Bryce, James W. Skotchdopole, Sarah Bowen, Sarah Esberg, Pauline Fischer, Ben Howarth, Ted Sarandos, Michael P. Flannigan
Writers David Michôd, Michael Hastings

It feels like there's a really good movie hidden somewhere in here, but perhaps not a comedy.

As far as the comedy goes, its biggest obstacle is Brad Pitt. I remember seeing another comedy with him in it, and I remember him being not particularly good. This time around it's even worse, and it's clear to me that the man doesn't have a funny bone at all.

There's plenty of comedic material in the script, as delivered by the supporting cast, but to be frank, Brad Pitt is simply terrible. I don't remember having seen him this poor, ever, and I'm really quite a fan of him. Why he fails so terribly to be funny, I'm not sure. Perhaps he lacks the ability to do self-ridicule, perhaps he tries too hard, perhaps he doesn't really get humour in the first place, you be the judge — I just know he's not funny. At all. They really should have done better casting here. Lots of obvious candidates that would be better, and probably cheaper, too.

Then there's the whole deal about it being a comedy in the first place. I don't consider myself a prune, but there are scenes in this film where the attempt at comedy just seems in awfully poor taste. Which is why I air the question of whether the "hidden good movie" in here should indeed be a comedy. The best scenes in War Machine most definitely aren't the funny ones, that's for sure.

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