ViewGuide

Created Jul 05, 2010 08:17PM PST • Edited Jul 05, 2010 08:17PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   One of the most engaging war documentaries I have ever seen, and worthy of its Grand Jury Prize for documentary at Sundance. This film stands out for focusing in on the detail of day to day surviving in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet: The Korangal Valley in Afganistan. This is a true “fish in a barrel” situation in a craggy and remote valley where the enemy is stealthily all around. Rather than focusing on direct enemy interactions, you see things more from an inward perspective – surviving firefights, trying to have fun in between the action, and the emotion of fighting, losing friends, and dealing with the aftermath of personal demons. And the name Restrepo? Just one of the men who was loved and killed early in the deployment. They named their newly build outpost after him.

4. Acting

   Perfect 5.0

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

6. Female Stars Perfect 5.0

7. Female Costars Perfect 5.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger did a remarkable job. The filming itself is rough-edged at times, but this actually makes more sense than if it would have been smoothly choreographed. A great use of the “Operation Rock Avalanche” to build the films intensity level. As an audience you feel like you are becoming part of the platoon; just figuring out what is going to take you to the next day. Then, near the end of the film, everyone, including you, breathes a sigh of relief as you are approaching your homeward trip.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

17. Sex Titillating 2.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.0

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0