Lone Survivor

Hello there reader, I know it has been an awfully long time since my words have issued forth from the page into your brains, and I am truly sorry for this hiatus.  I can sit here and type and type apologies till I'm blue in the fingers, but we both know what will really make this long over due reunion better, and that is of course a new review.  Let's not celebrate just yet, we have plenty of time for that.  Now, sadly Lone Survivor is not the first new movie I've seen since my most recent review some time ago, however, Lone Survivor is that one new film I've seen which literally left me incapable of holding in my thoughts just for me.  I want to take this review to the top of a mountain and shout for the world to hear: see this film.  Now would be a good time to celebrate....

YAY!

As we are all aware by now, I am a huge fan of most everything military.  Not sure where this started other than my becoming aware of how B.A. these men and women are.  Another thing I love is a good action movie, but more importantly, one which seems necessary to make, and no the Expendables does not fall into that category, I'm talking more like Tora! Tora! Tora!  Lone Survivor is the most recent epic undertaking by 'Marky' Mark Wahlberg which falls nicely within both categories.  What I mean by epic, is that it has occurred to me that Wahlberg seems to love taking film roles in which he has to do something outrageous in the pre-production stages, whether it's altering his body or learning how to fight or shoot.  Case in point: The Fighter, Pain & Gain, and most recently Lone Survivor.

 You can take reality from us, but you can never take our IMAGINATION!!!!!

Lone Survivor is no exception to this trend, and couldn't be since it is based on an actual Navy SEAL operation: Red Wings.  Wahlberg and his fellow actors, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch, all underwent modified SEAL-esque training with real M4 rifles and live rounds, something like 1,000 bullets per actor per week.  That my friends is called dedication and one awesome day in the sun.  Needless to say, this hands-on approach, as well as the fact every scene was shot under the guidance of active SEALS, really lent itself to make Lone Survivor quite the realistic epic heart-pounder it set out to be, and was truly born to be.  Here I was thinking Acts of Valor was so intense, well let me tell you, Lone Survivor had a much more personal feel to the story, made all the more difficult to endure with actual actors at the helm. 

One thing to help ensure the realism was the fact that these actors were actually putting themselves into the role.  They took the tumbles and falls as best they could, and this was evident from the excellent placement of the cameras.  Without overly relying on small GO-PRO cameras this film was shot using the standard Hi-Def cameras of today's film age.  One thing to help this was the dedication and attention to detail from Director Peter Berg.  Berg has been behind some other large scale action films: Battleship, The Rundown, Hancock.  His passion for this genre goes a long way with his story-telling ability.

As for the story one could say that Lone Survivor tugged at the heart strings while slamming its accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and never letting up.

 Bring these, you'll need them.

This is no easy feat to accomplish, as I have mentioned in prior reviews.  Again this is due to the fact that real life doesn't always offer a perfect arc for characters or story, and is often disjointed.  Now I am no fool with this aspect reader, I know that Lone Survivor the film doesn't follow the book and reality down to the 'T', but what it does is takes the story and makes it understandable, as well as less complicated.  Military actions and protocol don't always follow the rules of normality, this would make a film version of reality very difficult to follow, and inevitably leave the audience searching for answers which will never present themselves.  Fluidity rules the film world people.

I spend so much time discussing acting or camera angles, blah-dee-blah, but with Lone Survivor the realism truly hits you where it hurts, and nothing more so than the make-up/special effects.  This team of studs had their work cut-out for them, and went above and beyond answering that call.

Some of Mark Wahlberg's boo-boo's.

This is just a teeny-tiny taste of what they put together to aid this story, and in some cases did things which make the skin crawl.  Not to mention all the numerous gun shot wounds, swollen eyes, punctured lungs, shrapnel in the legs and tons and tons of blood; enough to make Stanley Kubrick proud. 

Final Words: Large Popcorn
This film was more than I ever expected.  I was literally floored from start to finish and thinking back on it, I'm still blown away.  I'm not saying that Lone Survivor is an award winner, but it certainly deserves yours and the remainder of the world's attention.  This is not a film by any means appropriate for the young, and if you are prone to emotional outbursts, than this film will trigger that to the max.  Again, bring those tissues.  

Until next time, happy viewing!

Review Rating based on popcorn sizes: small, medium, large, extra-large; 

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