Trust – is just a word.
Green Zone will challenge you to take a stand on Iraq, and force you to face why we declared war there. To bring violence, the full complement of the USA’s military machine, to bear on the hapless dictator with more doubles than Hitler and with his own trademark mustache, there must have been something greater than sheer animosity towards Saddam Insane, right? The film builds a case and lets you decide what, or more appropriately, whom to believe.
Of course, everyone has one question about this film, is it just a re-hash of Bourne . . . no, not in entirety anyway. Perhaps it is a more believable rendition of what an actual “Bourne” entity might look like without all the bullshit Hollywood make-believe. For example, the hero, Chief Miller (Matt Damon) comes across as a more developed character than Bourne and with actual depth and less melodrama. Quite simply, you might actually run into a Chief Miller in your life, but there is no such person as Jason Bourne.
Starting with the American invasion of Baghdad as American Forces are trying to procure the area, the theater actually shook as bombs rained down in the middle of the night, setting an “explosive” delivery. When we meet Miller, it is a few months after the initial invasion, and he is leading a team to track down suspected WMDs. A heavy sniper presence leads him to believe he and his team must be on the right track. During this sequence, director Paul Greengrass opted for hand-held action, no doubt to add to the chaos and confusion of combat – coming off like an episode of COPS in Iraq. The camera finally gets settled and Miller and his troops have secured the area and find nothing in the “housing” unit. This is where the questions really start.
The plot thickens as the movie shifts to Saddam International Airport where we meet Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) who works for the Pentagon Security Information Unit. Poundstone is awaiting the arrival of America’s choice for President of the new Democratic Iraq. Miller soon meets Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan) and finds out that she has information about a source Poundstone was working to obtain WMDs, known only by the Code Name “Magellan” – and now we’re off to the races.
While on his hunt for WMDs, Miller’s team stumbles onto a primary target for the Pentagon, General Al Rawi (Yigal Naor) known to the Soldiers as the “Jack of Clubs”. After a brief shoot-out between Miller’s team and Al Rawi’s guards, the Jack manages to escape. The team was able to capture one source though, who holds vital information about Al Rawi. Before they get anything actionable, another “friendly” team crashes the party.
It’s hard to determine who are the heroes and villains, when point of view is all that separates the truth. Green Zone was enjoyable, for most of the film, Matt Damon wants the truth, BUT he apparently can’t handle the truth! Also, with all the different twists in the movie, right when you think you know ALL the answers they change the damn questions! Much like the Bourne movies that Damon and Director Paul Greengrass have done together, there is a good amount of action, and everything is accounted for by the time the lights come up. The filmmakers did a good job of telling the story they wanted to tell. If you want a movie that keeps you guessing and packs a punch, I recommend Green Zone.
