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This is probably his [Paul Greengrass] best movie to date.  A movie that could have achieved a little more in the hands of a more competent director.

The “Green Zone” is the common name given to a 4 mile area in central Baghdad where you can find the U.S., UK, Egyptian and Australian embassies as well as bases for several private security contractors.  Before it became the “International Zone”, it was a heavily fortified area that housed military bases, government facilities and the palaces of Saddam Hussein and his family.  The area was all but abandoned during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when allied forces took Baghdad and began to search for weapons of mass destruction.  It is that search for WMDs that serves as the driving plot behind Paul Greengrass’ Green Zone.

In Green Zone, Matt Damon portrays warrant officer Roy Miller.  Roy leads a Mobile Exploitation Team charged with locating weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad.  Right off the bat, we get the sense that Roy is meticulous yet instinctive and they prove an effective combination in his case.  He and his team secure suspected WMD sites with little to no difficulty.  The only problem is that once the site is secured, there are no weapons to be found.  Miller suspects that the intel that they have been receiving is no good and deserves some serious scrutiny.

After the latest wild goose chase, Miller decides to bring this bad intel issue to his superiors.  Not only are his claims ignored but they seem to be ignored quite passionately.  Enter CIA Baghdad bureau chief Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson).  He believes Miller’s claims,  agrees that there’s definitely something afoot and offers a partnership to get to the bottom of this.  The mission is clear: find out who exactly is feeding the U.S. military bogus information and why.  With no leads and but one clue to work with, Roy and Martin race against the clock to uncover the true identity of “Magellan”.

I didn’t hate this movie.  But I didn’t necessarily like it either.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have a historical disdain for Paul Greengrass’ direction.  His action sequences are filmed about as close up as a Penthouse pictorial.  You have NO IDEA what the hell you are looking at most of the time.  And dialogue heavy scenes that should deliver a bit of tension fall short because you are too busy reeling from the motion sickness of being too close and wobbly.  Needless to say, I’ve never had a very positive reaction to his films.  So, in that respect, this is probably his best movie to date.  A movie that could have achieved a little more in the hands of a more competent director.

The film does have some great action set pieces.  Some even have the camera pulled back a respectable distance so you can actually discern what’s happening.  The action is where the movie excels.  It’s the only time in the film when you feel like there is any kind of momentum.  Unfortunately, these action sequences are few leaving you at the mercy of about an hour and a half of oddly staged, unevenly paced discussion and discovery.  I dig wordy scripts.  I dig intrigue.  I will sit through two hours of people talking to one another as long as you make it interesting. 

Also, this film is way predictable.  I usually try to turn down the “can I figure this out before they do” dial when I see a movie but this one was pretty obvious.  You may as well have just slapped a curly black mustache on Greg Kinnear, shaved off an hour and just called it a day.  There was very little sense of uncovering the mystery along with our protagonist.  You already know what’s going on and sit there watching characters posture for an hour and a half while Matt Damon catches up with you.

There are some truly exceptional aspects to this film.  Despite the clunky direction, Greg Kinnear turns in a respectable performance as Pentagon Special Intelligence Officer Clark Poundstone.  Sometimes I fear that Mr. Kinnear isn’t given the full credit he deserves… especially when thrown into the middle of a movie like this.  The subtle nuances he adds to his characters that distinguish them from anyone else he’s played in the past are really quite impressive.  Facial ticks, body language… he’s a thinking actor folks.  Pay closer attention next time you watch a Greg Kinnear film.  Another impressive player in this film is actor Jason Isaacs.  Has this guy become the next Gary Oldman or what?  He’s a chameleon, my friends.  The guy shows up in the movie and I haven’t the slightest idea who he is.  He looks like he’s pumped enough iron to put Schwarzenegger to shame, he’s rockin’ this handlebar mustache and his voice isn’t even close to what we’ve come to associate with his past roles.  I had no idea it was him until the credits started rolling.  A real treat of a performance for anyone who can appreciate an actor who has perfected his craft.

So, while the movie didn’t do too terribly much for me, I’d still recommend Green Zone for a lazy Sunday afternoon or a matinee on your day off. 

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