YAY!
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.
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.
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;
films worth skipping get snore...zzzzz