LONE SURVIVOR
STARRING: MARK WAHLBERG,TAYLOR KITSCH,EMILE HIRSCH, BEN FOSTER
DIRECTOR: PETER BERG
RATED: R
Lone Survivor was a highlight film of the past year and now is opening wide on Friday. It is a remarkable account of the doomed SEAL team 10 mission dubbed “Operation Red Wings”
Marcus Luttrell with his SEAL Team Squad Members
Lone Survivor was a highly courted project in Hollywood, Director Peter Berg was the one who was able to get Author and SEAL Marcus Luttrell to go with him to Direct and Write for the screen his very personal story. Berg met with Luttrell and had him watch his film “The Kingdom” and then decide if he was the right man to head this up. Berg also had the foresight to bring Marcus on set and utilize his expertise to keep the scenes as realistic and factual as possible. The real firefight was over 3 hours long so a few things needed to be omitted.
Gathered together as the doomed team are Mark Wahlberg as Marcus Luttrell, Taylor Kitsch as Michael Murphy the LT as well as the heart and soul of the team (Kitsch finally lives up to the hype and promise afterstarring in two of the biggest box office disasters of all time John Carter and Battleship) Emile Hirsch as Danny Dietz and Ben Foster in a star making turn as Matt “Axe” Axelson.
Luttrell and his team were faced with a tough moral question when they were spotted on a hillside in Afghanistan by some local goat herders. Do they let them go, knowing that they would alert the local Taliban or kill them dead and not give away their location. They took the moral high ground resulting in a firefight on the mountainside till Luttrell was saved by members of a nearby Afghan village.
Knowing that it is a true story and the ramifications of their actions are compelling yet heartbreaking to watch. It truly is a testament to the human spirit. When Axe tells Luttrell “If I die, I need you to make sure that Cindy know how much I love her and that I died with my brothers with a full fucking heart” it solidifies the brotherhood that these guys have. There is never a moment where blame is passed or where they won’t risk their own life for another. They epitomize character and courage under the worst of circumstances.
Berg wisely chose to start the film showing actual footage from SEAL BUD/S training and end it with photos of the actual SEAL team involved, It delivers a more intimate connection. This is easily one of the best films of the year and one of the best WAR films to grace the screen.
With a stellar cast and graphic realism, Berg can safely hold his head high post Battleship.
GRADE- 95
