4 Stars out of 5

Matt Damon Finds Weapons of Mass Movie-Going Intensity

“Green Zone” takes a look at the Iraq War in a way that seems to be unique in that we are not the welcoming heroes but the bamboozled ones.

The movie’s message is that Iraq’s feared “WMDs” did not exist and that the NEOCONS within the George W. Bush administration completely fabricated and lied about these so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction and killed to cover up the deception on the American people and the world.

Green Zone is the latest Iraq War-inspired motion picture.  Personally, I wasn’t expecting too much because the trailer made it sound like a Bourne Identity movie. Bad trailer, excellent movie.

It’s an intense fast-paced and rollercoaster ride from the ready set-go.   My stomach knotted up within the first 5 minutes and never let go.  I was angry, mad, and sad for the Iraqi people who had to endure this unnecessary indignity because psychotic predators in the White House wished it so.  I am angry for the young men and women who died in the war to serve as assigns for George Bush’s thugs.

The war being fought in the film is more between the Pentagon and the CIA than the US v Iraq which makes it all the more interesting.  The film allows you to see things from Iraq’s perspective for a change.

Be advised that this is a thriller, not a documentary.  So many names are incorrect and the events portrayed are dramatized for effect.  But the premise remains principle-centered.

The setup in the film regarding the ‘Intelligence’ regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction used to justify the invasion is entirely believable.  Matt Damon is well suited to his part as a unit leader Roy Miller, as is Brendan Gleeson as the CIA man and Greg Kinnear is refreshingly nasty as Poundstone from the Pentagon – all turn in good performances.

This movie was filmed on location in Morocco, Spain, and in England but it sure seemed like they were in Bagdad.

The hand-held camera movement was bit much.  I hate that technique but it was used to give you that feeling that you were there with them on the ground in the fight.

The movie is based on the 2006 non-fiction book ‘Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a journalist for The Washington Post.  I haven’t read the book so I can’t comment on how closely the film follows its story.

Nevertheless, for me, I found myself mumbling during the movie with a tinge of hate.  By the end, I realized how angry I was for what happened to all of us during the dark night of the Bush era.

My family has personally suffered from this tragedy.  It’s more than a black eye for America, it’s a National disgrace that may never be fully redeemed.

Take the Green Light get into the Green Zone and let yourself go, you need to get it out!  Phew!

Get it on DVD at Amazon.com