Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

I had low expectations going into this movie. I thought it was going to be a somewhat goofy comedy based on the trailers. But I was pleasantly surprised. It's a really good story!It's not a comedy. It's a drama with funny parts. Again, being that Tina Fey is a solid comedy writer I was surprised to see this shape up into a drama right from the opening scene, especially since it was billed as a comedy. When they do inject funny parts into the story they are really funny. So it's a good all around entertaining film.It's completely non political too. I was surprised about that being that it was a Hollywood movie about the war in Afghanistan. But they left politics out of it completely. It's all about one woman's personal journey as a war corespondent. It goes into her personal life, her professional life, and her feels about being on an adventure. Nothing about politics at all.It also treats the Marine Corps very well and paints them in a very positive way. Almost nothing about the Marines' portrayal is realistic, but it's completely positive. Even when they show mistakes the Marines made, it's done in a very positive way to show they were trying to do the right thing. In other words this movie does not preach to you.As for the inaccurate portrayal of the Marines, it was minor stuff but really annoying. For example they have Tina Fey doing interviews with Marines with clearly visible rank insignia on their collars and the Marines give their own ranks wrong. A man wearing Sergeant chevrons says he is a Gunnery Sergeant. A man with Corporal chevrons says he is a Lance Corporal. Or when Fey says "Hoo Wah!" to the Marine General, the General rightfully says that Marines say "Ooo Rah!" then wrongly says it's the Navy that says "Hoo Wah!" In reality the Army says "Hoo Wah or Hoo ahh"...or whatever I don't know. I wasn't in the Army. But I know the Navy doesn't say it. Stuff like that should have been fixed with a simple military consultant being involved. To be fair that was only about 30 seconds of total screen time with really basic stuff like that botched. It only takes you out of the story for a minute. The rest of the inaccuracies are battlefield stuff that 99% of the world would never notice as inaccurate. And they really aren't that big of a deal.Still it was a wildly entertaining movie that had a good story. And apparently it's based on a true story.Don't judge this by the trailers. The trailers for this movie present a completely different idea of what this film is about. They are very misleading.

I was surprised by this film. The marketing made it seem like a silly farce about a female reporter in a hot war zone; the ultimate fish out of water. A woman in the Middle East, Taliban territory. I thought it was going to be one-liners, funny faces, jokes about women, etc. I really like Tina Fey so I had wanted to watch it even though it seemed silly.It was not silly at all. It was thoughtful, funny but insightful, and well-acted. It was very badly marketed.Tina Fey's performance was often nuanced. She's a powerfully funny comic. She's got impeccable timing and, her facial expressions, her "takes" during 30 Rock, while broad, were hugely amusing. But, in this film, she's far more subdued and her performance is realistic. She portrays a female reporter who makes a decision to change her life and go to Afghanistan in the middle of the war, going from being a copy writer to an on-camera reporter. She's out of her depth. But, she has instincts and listens to people. She makes some mistakes but not for long.This film deals with ideas like women's rights and gender differences. How do women get treated in a war zone? What is life like for women in the Middle East? As well, the film looks at career choices, mid-life crises, ethical decisions about what to report and how to report it. How important is your career versus your personal life? What are you willing to do to get what you want?Overall, I was really impressed by this film. The directing was good, the writing was good, the acting was good. Martin Freeman and Margot Robbie both turned in good performances as fellow reporters. Christopher Abbott was notable as Fahim, a "fixer" for Tina Fey's character. Their relationship is touching and emotional. It highlights the cultural differences between Westerners and Middle Easterners, particularly those living in countries such as Afghanistan.I recommend this film. It's not slapstick or farcical at all. It's more of a funny drama or a dramatic comedy. And, Tina Fey's performance should be seen and appreciated.

I gave this movie five stars based solely upon how much I enjoyed it and here's why I enjoyed it so much. It stars Tina Fey (who is my favorite famous person in the world) as Kim Baker, in a true story about an inexperienced war correspondent in Afghanistan. Tina isn't the most versatile actor but she gets the job done and her straightforward, droll style is perfect for this character.Tina is supported by an amazing assortment of actors. Some are famous, such as:Martin Freeman (as a roguish Scottish cameraman)Margot Robbie (as a much needed friend and fellow journalist)Billy Bob Thornton (as a stern Marine General)Alfred Molina (as an important Afghan Government Official)and some who will make you want to know what other movies you can see them in, in particular:Christopher Abbott (as Kim's Afghan advisor)Evan Jonigkeit (as a thoughtful and articulate Marine).The script is so good that every character, no matter, how small the part, seems genuine and three dimensional.This is not a comedy. This is a war drama but the violence is fairly understated. I'm very sensitive to screen violence and I wasn't upset about any of it.

Es una película interesante; el humor no terminó por gancharme, pero la historia es buena y termina por ser una película palomera.