Jarhead – Willkommen im Dreck (2005)

Jarhead – Willkommen im Dreck: Directed by Sam Mendes. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Scott MacDonald, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx. A psychological study of Marine’s state of mind during the Gulf War. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Marine sniper who struggles to cope with boredom, a sense of isolation, and other issues back home.

“Gritty story based on the true life experiences of Marine recruit Anthony Swofford, a naïve teenager who gets more than he bargained for beginning in basic training, then a long and hellish nightmare of combat after heu0026#39;s shipped off to Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield. Well-crafted, strongly acted, and extremely political the film certainly holds your interest, but the script is unfocused, the subject matter never truly compelling, and the momentum slows more and more as it goes along. Gyllenhaal is respectable as the reluctant Marine who finds himself in over his head, while Foxx is a powerhouse as his gung-ho sergeant. Starts off strongly, but gradually becomes conventional and loses its way. **½”