Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Green Zone Is A Fast Paced War Drama Based On Truth

By Noelle Shepard

Matt Damon is the star of this action packed war drama and it is similar to the Bourne movies he's famous for. The Green Zone is a war drama with some thrilling moments added in and the Bourne movies were all drama and spy thrillers with some action added. This movie is set back in 2003 and Damon's character and his team of army officers are looking for the elusive WMS's, weapons of mass destructions in Iraq. This title is referring to the perimeter known as the former leader, Saddam Hussein's Palace, often called the Emerald City, where the government grounds were set up.

This movie came from a book written by a Washington Post Baghdad Bureau chief, who was stationed briefly in Iraq, Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The author was present when the American forces were attempting to set up a temporary government of American troupes on the grounds of Hussein's former palace. Many critics say this new governing body was built in a bubble and so distant from the reality that was the Iraq War; it could do nothing but fail to meet the needs and desperate wants of the people in that country.

Taking so much of the truth and stretching it until it become fiction is what director Paul Greengrass and screenwriter Brian Helgeland did with Chandrasekaran's book. They used it as a starting point for the actual US led occupation of Bagdad to begin their movie. Greengrass was the director for United 93 about the plane crash in Pennsylvania on 9-11. This movie has Damon's character linking up with a CIA agent, Brendon Gleeson of the popular Beowulf and In Burges, in order to search for evidence that the Iraq people or government, or both, are hiding WMDs. A senior CIA bureau member, Gleeson's character and Damon's character, an officer, can only help each other so much.

Rounding out the all-star cast is Greg Kennear of the Last Song and Amy Ryan of Gone Baby Gone and the Office. Ryan portrays a foreign correspondent from the New York Times who has traveled to Iraq to dispute accusations about the weapons of mass destructions against the US. Kennear's characters is another CIA agent who desperately wants to get Damon's character out of his hair and keep spinning this situation in good light, no matter the truth.

Damon's character can only find out the source of Ryan's information is Magellan and he hunts everywhere for the identity of this secret name. But Ryan is a true journalist and will not give up her source so it says as Magellan and the weapon's of mass destructions remains a mystery. Damon's character will even confront Ryan's character about her sources but she holds fast to her journalistic convictions and will not reveal them. This only proves to thicken the plot.

Damon's character is sent on a 'wild goose chase' as he searches for answers and comes up blank due to faulty Intel and covert operations he's not privy to. There are many fight scenes in which Damon's character is caught in the middle of gunfire from unknown sources and people from his own unit telling him to leave things alone. His character is a very determined solider and wants to do what's right for the American people and the people of Iraq.

After a while, it becomes clear that Kinnear's character is working against Damon's character and not with him. Damon's character is kidnapped and fights his way to freedom. The quest for the truth becomes his most valuable weapon in Damon's character's bag of tricks but leaves the audience with many unanswered questions.

Many questions will be answered by the end of the film, such as will Damon's character help a rouge regimen clear up their act or will the escalading violence continue to climb in such an unstable condition as to become a prelude to second movie? The Green Zone should be seen by everyone and anyone who enjoys suspense, war and intrigue in their movies. Director Greengrass is also the director of several of Damon's Bourne movies; therefore audiences will not be disappointed.

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