Having worked together on both The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, both director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon knew exactly what they were getting into when they agreed to do Green Zone. For the film's producers it was a match made in heaven; for movie fans everywhere, it was a creative fusion of monstrous proportions.
Similar to their previous two films, Greengrass and Damon open up with an intense sequence that lays down the story of Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller and his fight to uncover the truth about the falsifying intelligence that brought war to the Middle East. The dangerous areas supposedly plagued with WMDs, the loitering and sniper fire"”they are all a constant in Miller's hectic life of serving his country. By cleverly mixing a series of fictional characters with real-life media-facts, Green Zone goes from a typical action flick to a social commentary on government, war and the relationship that they have with one another.
Damon plays Miller, a man who asks the questions that the world is longing to have answered. His performance, though not his best, is on par with what we have come to expect from him in an unchallenging action style film. His moves are predetermined, his tone a bit rough, and his appearance represents that of a short-lived member of the military. He is casual, almost too much so, but at the end of the day, this film isn't meant to be a Full Medal Jacket. I was pleased to see that the typical cocky attitude and tough boy drama that often takes form in war films was left on the sidelines this time out, a feat that improved the reality of the story ten-fold.
Amy Ryan, who portrays Wall Street Journal reporter Lawrie Dayne, provides the second best performance in the film. Though her involvement in the big story is enormous, her on-screen time is harshly limited thanks to director Greengrass' attempt to keep the film action-focused. It is the harsh reality that someone of her stature should be so underused; though if I were to say that it hadn't happened before, I would be knowingly lying to you all.
High octane thrill rides, intense action sequences and a close out chase give Green Zone the power to storm through its deep storylines. Granted there is a lot of motion in terms of the camera, especially during the film's opening and closing scenes; those who can muster through it get a sense of war-time fever as you anxiously sit there, confused as to who is who and what is what, fearing that our lead protagonist will drop at any moment.
The true saving grace for the film is its action and its story. The ability of Greengrass and Damon to take a fictional character and interlace him into the reality of present wartimes is nothing short of remarkable. I was questionable about the film as I exited the theater. Had I expected too much? Did it really deliver? But after sitting down and thinking about it some more, I came to the conclusion that Green Zone is a film that can't be taken at face value. It is a war movie, so it is a bit political, and it is a bit deep, but at its heart, it is an action packed experience that carries just enough information to make you think.
