Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)

Powerful

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I didn't know, going into this movie, that Lorne Michaels of SNL fame (or infamy) had had a hand in it, but I did know about Tina Fey, and consequently I braced myself for the usual left-wing drivel about American imperialism, male chauvinism, Western racism and {insert whatever other leftist trope comes to mind}.Happily, I was 100% wrong.WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT is funny (thanks in no small part to Ms. Fey) and touching, and far more importantly, it's REAL. It's one of those rare movies which convinces you that you're watching, not a mere movie, but instead a heartfelt effort to depict the real world, for better or worse. And in this, it follows in the time-honored tradition of what is perhaps the most rewarding form of literature, namely the true-life, first-person narratives of strangers in strange lands. I was reminded of, among other things, the HBO series BIG LOVE, whose producers aver that they set out not to judge Mormons but to describe them - to leave behind all of their own bigotry and to treat them, as would any serious anthropologist, as a cultural phenomenon, without effort to praise or blackguard them.WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT is what all serious movies should be and, more importantly, what all serious journalism should be. But sadly, of course, this is far from true nowadays.

I stopped watching Saturday Night Live long before Tina Fey joined the cast, so I was almost completely unfamiliar with her when I read her book Bossypants a couple of months ago. That book made me a fan of her great intelligence and humor. This movie added to my appreciation, to the point where I can say, in a non-obsessive fandom sort of way, I love Tina Fey. This film blew me away. Her presentation of her character's personal and professional evolution was outstanding. I also was very impressed by Billy Bob Thornton and good old Alfred Molina--one of our best character actors, whom I did not recognize until almost the end of the film--as well as Martin Freeman and Margot Robbie.The movie was so realistic that I thought they'd actually filmed in Asia. I was amazed that most of it was filmed in New Mexico. To borrow the vernacular of the script, this is a great movie, or maybe a fucking great movie. I loved it.

I have given this a rating of 1 in order to leave a review however even a score of one is unworthy for this poorly played out film. This film portrays journalism and armed forces as drug using, sex addicted simpletons. We found this highly offensive given the fact that we have lost family members to war and know that they never took drugs or went to war to take part in wild sex orgy's. It makes a complete mockery and disgrace of any of the armed forces worldwide. If you are looking for a factual true to life film about journalism in Afghanistan then I would highly recommend city of ghosts, if you are looking for a film that documents true events of soldiers giving their lives to protect their countries then give Hacksaw Ridge a watch you won't be disappointed. I would rate them both 10/10 for their true to life depictions of war from either side. If you are someone who has lost a family member to war I would not recommend watching this messed up attempt at showing the life of soldiers or journalists who are out there facing conflict in these war torn countries.

Working as a war correspondent in Afghanistan proves challenging for a female journalist in this Tina Fey film based on the actual experiences of reporter Kim Barker. With Fey headlining, the film was inevitably marketed as a comedy, but it is more of a grim drama about the difficulties of working in wartime conditions in foreign lands where customs are unfamiliar. Along these lines, Fey's performance is remarkably subdued without any of the trademark kooky comic antics of her television work, 'Sisters' or 'Mean Girls'. It is quite a human performance with her best moments coming from the scenes where she has to wear burka to walk the streets, with the camera positioned inside the gown to give close-ups of her nervous eyes. Of the supporting cast, Margot Robbie is strong as a rival journalist also working in the war zone, but her character is somewhat written off in the second half. Billy Bob Thornton is also solid but has far too few scenes to make any real impression with Martin Freeman as a romantic interest instead receiving an overload of screen time. At its best, 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' is a captivating look at how working in a war zone changes the way one lives, interacts and functions. More focus on the supporting players other than Freeman may have given the film more a satirical edge, but Freeman makes the most of his character.