The War
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Movie Reviews of The War
Movie Review: A Very Good film
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is very under rated. One of Elijah wood`s best performances.Movie Review: The War - A Great Vehicle for the Young Elijah Wood
Summary: 4 Stars
The War is a species of film released in the early 90's with anti-war, anti-agression themes that require movie-goers to commit to the view that the Vietnam War is a symbol for war's futility. It does this using a metaphor used often before-the loss of innocence; in this case, a child's. What complicates this film's approach is the child is not innocent. Stu Simmons is a struggling kid in poverty's grip fending for himself and family, while his war hero, post-trauma stressed father is trying to find his sanity. Perhaps, the father, Stephen Simmons is the innocent lost and visits it upon his family and, particularly his son.
The film focuses on the need to put anger aside, forgive those who wrong you, compromise for the benefit of the community and move forward with the struggle for hope with joy in your heart. If it sounds like a sermon-it is. What makes this movie more preachy is Stu Simmons and his sister, Lidia's struggle to keep and defend a fort in a tree (a tree-house). On the surface, such stuff ranks with Lassie or My Friend Flicka, with a slightly more meaty homily and a different set of dirty-faced kids. Added to the message, in this message movie, is Lidia's attempt to bring harmony and understanding between the races. The only thing missing is world peace.
Despite this overblown capsule of Hallelujahs, The War succeeds admirably for three reasons-the focus on the relationship between Stu and his father; the continual development of Stu as a mirror image of his father, only a more adult version; and a fairly sound script, which only falters when it gets on its soap box and preaches. Any writer can tell you, "show-don't tell." When the script tells us the themes, it sags. When we are shown, it shines. Fortunately, with the exception of the ending, these snippets of hallelujah are peppered throughout and absorbed by the incredible performance of Elijah Wood.
That Elijah Wood carries this movie is undeniable. The viewer is captured by his skillful development of Stu Simmons and the final blossoming of the young adult. It's much like David Copperfield's journey, only ignore the Dickensian sideshow. The father-son scenes generally work, Kevin Costner giving a competent performance with only one scene with the full depth of his ability. Lexis Randall's performance as Lidia carefully blends her into her family image. You could pick her out as Stu Simmons' sister in a crowd. Unfortunately, as she has the voice overs, she get's the pulpit and the more maudlin lines. LaToya Chisholm's performance as her sarcastic black girlfriend, shines. Her timing, development and intonation are right on the money in all her scenes; and she dominates all her scenes. Mare Winningham as the mother, Lois, inhabits her role as the long suffering but supporting wife, admirably. But it is Elijah Wood's force that allows us to like this movie, admiring his style, intelligence and facial expressions. There's a Shakespearean caliber culmination scene, which rivets the viewer to the screen, much like being drawn into the vortex of the Water Tower, which figures prominently in a long list of visual symbols.
Of course, when one is preaching, one knows the bottom line. After Elijah Wood delivers his forceful scene, the movie travels along predictable, if not entertaining, lines. The kiddie War is quite adult; and the denouement, the bitter-sweet happy ending, is easily forecast. After all, you can't preach to the congregation with fire and brimstone without letting them leave without a benediction. The need to tie up all the various homilies in Lidia's closing voice over and her little why life is a bowl of cherries essay, could have been left to Laura Engels.
On the whole, The War is worthwhile as a showcase for Elijah Wood and is worthy of shelf space for his fans. His performance is a must for anyone who had only seen his later work in the Independants or in the massive Lord of the Rings. With an often solid script that has sometimes too much to say, this reviewer would award The War a solid B.
Movie Review: Flawed, but a good addition to a family's collection
Summary: 4 Stars
Depending on your reason for watching or buying this movie, it's either a 3 star (average) or 5 star (good deal). This is a movie I wouldn't rent for pure entertainment, but one I wanted to own as part of the family library. The object of watching this particular movie isn't entertainment, but education. If you put aside the second storyline in this movie (Kevin Costner's war vet psychological flashback bit), it becomes a great movie.
The second plot - perhaps added because the filmakers thought adults needed something grown-up to entertain them (the movie would have been fine without, as was Stand By Me) or maybe added to make Costner's role a bit meatier - actually takes away from the movie's tone and clear message. War is a dangerous solution to problems that could be dealt with in other ways.
Set in the South sometime in the 70's, Elijah Wood and his siblings are in the midst of an on-going battle with neighborhood bullies, whose father is a racist and bully.
While the father struggles with the aftermath of being a failure at war - the bullies and their dad label him as a coward, and in their view, he supports this by teaching his kids that fighting isn't the way to solve problems (although in one scene he loses it for a moment) - the kids begin a small war over some turf they've built with supplies pilfered from the bully dad's junkyard.
The highlight of the film is the kids battle, shown in slow motion and with sound effects of a real war, which make it clear that we're comparing this dangerous fight the kids are having with the external war their father fought.
The attempt to give almost equal play to Costner's inner struggle takes away from the movie, if you're looking at it as a pure entertainment piece. I push it aside as a minor annoyance, and my son focuses on the kids.
It is in our family library because we like books about war that can be viewed by the family and encourage conversation. It doesn't have to be perfect (and the acting and filming in this movie are well above average), it just has to help with the family dialogue!
Movie Review: Heartwarming family drama?
Summary: 4 Stars
I went into this thinking it would be a fairly lighthearted view of one family's troubles living in 1970 Mississippi. After one viewing, I was shocked. Shocked enough to end up watching it three times in two days.Are people really so mean to one another? Adults will stand by while a child gets beaten by a gang? People will purposefully ram other cars when they break down in the road? Children will fight and do life-threatening dares for property? You bet. This reality was what made this movie so compelling and unique in a world of bland, "let's not be controversial" movies.
It isn't perfect, by any means. It's too long, has too many sub-stories to successfully complete them all, and is downright cheesy at times. But in terms of acting, Costner combines the haunted vet and nuturing father together believeably, and all the children are well done (there are some great faces, really interesting to look at). The most interesting relationship was between the three girls: a relationship which succesfully merged race, strength, loyalty, and good old fashioned girliness. Elijah Wood also has some truly great moments.
The children's war was horrifying, and by far the best part of the movie. I couldn't look at the screen the first time I watched it because it was so disturbing (not because it's violent, but because it's kids who obviously don't realize the seriousness of the situation). It's a really good piece of work, transitioning from innocent to vicious so smoothly the viewers don't consciously realize there was even a shift. Very very well done.
The thing I like about The War is that I still find myself thinking about it weeks later. Not so much about war itself, but about children and growing up, and losing the things you love. Only good movies make you do that.
Movie Review: Good movie -- Unfocused viewpoint
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie was a bit of a charmer, but it was too long and the point of view is unfocused. The majority of the film was centered around Stu Simmons (Elijah Wood) and his father (Kevin Costner) except that the movie was told from the viewpoint of the sister. The movie begins with her narration and ends with her narration from her memoirs in the classroom. The sister' viewpoint is irrelevant, for the most part, but it does make for confusing hitches when the majority of the scenes depict Stu and the father then suddenly has the sister narrating scenes she was never in.
The climax of the film is Kevin Costner revealing the truth behind his shame in Vietnam to his son, but this happens half way through the movie which tells you there's another hour of film to go. Classic rule of screenwriting is that you wrap up the story within five minutes of the climax, and I can clearly see why the movie just petered out until the treehouse/fight scene. So the movie had to climaxes. These glitches can throw off the movie rhythm and make it difficult or audiences. Because the movie was based off a woman's memoirs about her brother and father, I can see where the confusion had originated.
Despite those flaws, Elijah Wood gave a brilliant performance and showed his star potential at an early age. This is a good story with its own charm and worth watching but with a little bit of patience.