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By Brian Michaels -
Minor spoilers.
Every
so often, a movie comes along with a serious identity
crisis. Films that just don't know what they want to be,
or are trying too hard to be all things to all people.
Few can successfully bridge genres, and when they do, are
not very easily accepted by the general public. (e.g.
Frighteners, Big Hit).
Add to that list Three Kings, the new film from relative
newcomer David O. Russell, starring George Clooney, Mark
Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. This is a film that finds, in my
opinion, a perfect balance of drama and comedy, satire
and commentary. Whenever the movie runs a risk of getting
a little too intense or preachy, we are comforted by an
amusing line or sequence, often coming from the always
entertaining Jamie Kennedy or from a surprising comic
discovery in the form of Spike Jonze. Conversely,
whenever we as viewers begin to get too comfortable with
the humor, the drama unfolds to add a little levity and
allow us, along with the characters to rethink the
situation.
This is what the movie is about. Moral decisions and
priorities. In 1991, as the Gulf War draws to a close, a
small group of soldiers head off into the desert in
search of Sadaam's stolen Kuwaiti gold, guided by a map
found on...er, in an Iraqi P.O.W. Their plan to go home
rich is endangered when they become involved in the
Kuwaiti plight to rise up against Sadaam's forces.
Clooney, long underrated as an actor (don't mistake a
distinct presence or style for a lack of acting ability),
heads up a stellar cast which also includes Mykelti
Williamson, Nora Dunn, Liz Stauber(Teaching Mrs Tingle)
and Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez(187). Everyone involved
does an amazing job at helping us understand their
characters and what makes them who they are. Director
Russell has a unique style that shows thorugh in his
script as well as through the film's phenomenal
cinematography, by Usual Suspects cinematographer Tom
Sigel. He does make a few stylistic, if a little odd,
choices in shots that may leave you scratching your head.
As a social/political commentary, this film may not make
many friends among patriots and veterans' groups. It
portrays the Gulf War as a misdirected, media-hyped event
that, once America's interests were protected, was left
to the rebels to fight without the promised support of
the US Armed Forces. The U.S. is not-so-subtly bashed for
their indifference to the people of Kuwait and Iraq in
favor of policy and procedure. Again, priorities and
moral decisions.
Entertaining and thought-provoking, humorous and
touching, Three Kings is a great film that, like most
great films, will be overlooked by many in favor of Adam
Sandler Formula Comedy #27 and the like, simply because
it requires one to think and to accept a genre-crossing
story that makes you laugh, but feel almost guilty for
doing so.
-Brian Michaels
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