Monday, June 12, 2017

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk 2016


     This film is based on a bestselling novel by Ben Fountain published in 2012.  Billy Lynn is a 19-year-old private in the US Army.  He’s in Bravo Squad and they just lost their squad leader in a battle in Iraq.  They are temporarily sent home and they are featured on a Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day football game.  At times during the halftime show, Billy has flashbacks of what happened in Iraq. 
     The soldiers are just propaganda tools on display for viewing.  Everything about this film seems off kilter?  One thing I know for sure is soldiers don’t tell each other I love you??  I am surprised this film is directed by Ang Lee, it doesn’t have the substance of his other projects.  I didn’t know in the beginning that the time setting is 2004 so I couldn’t figure out why Beyonce is singing with Destiny’s Child?  I thought this would be good but it’s a waste and a disappointment!!  1 ½* (I really didn’t liked this movie)

113 min, Drama directed by Ang Lee with Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Arturo Castro, Mason Lee, Astro, Beau Knapp, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Barney Harris, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin Chris Tucker, Kristen Stewart.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10, 46% critic 43% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 3.3* out of 5* with 116 reviews, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 42 critics 6.0 out of 10 with 41 reviews.
Special Note:  Filmed in Locust Grove, Atlanta and Canton, Georgia; Erfoud, Morocco; Santa Clarita, California.  Real life NFL stars J.J. Watt and Richard Sherman make cameos as Dallas players.  There is a mistake with the Army uniforms.  They were dessert uniforms during the show but at the real 2004 NFL Halftime show, the soldiers wore woodland camouflage uniforms.  They didn't have a briefing about the setup before the show, that doesn't seem correct?

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