Review: Lone Survivor

Based on a true story from 2005 about a group of Navy SEALs (played by Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch, and Emile Hirsch) on a top secret mission in Afghanistan. They are assigned the task of killing an important Taliban leader, but when communications with their base breakdown and a decision by team leader Wahlberg to be lenient towards some approaching goat herders proves unwise…the four soldiers are in the fight of their lives up in the mountain terrain. Eric Bana plays their commanding officer back at base, and the notorious Dan Bilzerian (seriously, Google the guy) plays another soldier.

Aside from a title that bizarrely gives everything away, this 2013 true war story is easily the best film to date from director Peter Berg (“Very Bad Things”, “Friday Night Lights”, “Battleship”, “Hancock”), who also adapted the Marcus Luttrell memoir himself. It’s certainly Berg’s best-looking and most traditionally shot film to date. Cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler (“The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3”, “Battleship”) isn’t shakin’ all over, and the scenery is truly stunning. Sure, Berg might go to the well one too many times with the aerial shots, but when it looks this good, why complain?

The characters don’t exactly pop, but the idea here is to give off a pretty matter-of-fact, straightforward vibe, so it’s fitting. Like “Black Hawk Down”, this one’s less concerned with character depth and more interested in making the situation itself seem as realistic and convincing as possible. It’s not on that earlier film’s level, but it’s still pretty damn good. The actors certainly make for an easy bunch to relate to, they seem relaxed yet only because they are so incredibly efficient and sure in their capabilities. Mark Wahlberg in particular has never seemed this laidback and cool. The guy is Cpl. Hicks-level rock-steadiness here. I also really liked that although Ben Foster plays a more trigger-happy character than Wahlberg, the talented actor (one of the best of his generation if you ask me) doesn’t go over-the-top at all. This isn’t one of his crazy-eyed Dennis Hopper turns, and his character isn’t a bad guy- he simply cares more about his own men and is worried about letting Iraqi prisoners go, even unarmed young/elderly ones. There’s not a bad performance in the whole film, to be honest, nor a false moment that I could pinpoint. The film also has a nicely built sense of quiet unease throughout. It also shows just how dangerous military combat is, and how easily you can lose your life. It certainly shows how fucked up situations can get in battle if just one little thing goes wrong, like a communications failure at the least opportune moment. Or a guy who can’t stop talking loudly because his bloody wounds have made him delirious while you’re attempting to hide from the enemy.

Easily one of the best and most visceral and exciting (if that’s not too distasteful a term) war films since “Black Hawk Down”. This isn’t anything you haven’t seen before, and the title is awful, but Berg and his cast do a damn good job here. I really wish he changed the title (and preferably the opening scene too), because not everyone is already familiar with this story, and so giving it all away in the title is a real shame. Other than that, definitely recommended.

Rating: B-