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War Machine
2017 122 min United States of America, Australia R 16+
★5.8
Comedy, Drama, War
Director: David Michôd
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Description
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.
Budget:
$60M
Starring
Brad Pitt
Actor
Daniel Betts
Actor
John Magaro
Actor
Awards
3 nominations total
Key opinion
War Machine is an uneven satire that struggles to balance its comedic aspirations with its serious political commentary. While the film benefits from a strong supporting cast, it is ultimately hindered by a disjointed tone and a lack of narrative focus.
| Acting | The supporting cast delivers consistently strong performances that ground the film's satirical elements. | |
| Production | The film adopts a refreshingly simple visual and narrative style, eschewing grand war-film tropes and patriotic speeches. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay fails to successfully integrate its disparate tones, vacillating uncomfortably between broad farce and somber drama. | |
| Acting | Brad Pitt's performance is divisive; some viewers find his stylized portrayal of the general an ironic success, while others view it as an unfunny caricature that undermines the narrative. | |
| Originality | Opinions on the film's genre identity are split, as the mixture of political satire and war drama prevents it from fully succeeding as either. |