Green Zone : DVD Review


Title: Green Zone
Starring: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan
Director: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Brian Helgeland
Running time: 131 minutes
Released: 12th July 2010

In the wake of the 2010 Oscars, Green Zone was rightly or wrongly, compared with the big winner – The Hurt Locker. The Hurt Locker was an excellent film and although Green Zone is not bad, it’s not really in the same league. The Hurt Locker was based far more in the realms of reality and whilst Green Zone was of a political nature it didn’t seem to necessarily be something that actually happened. I’m no lover of politics, or wars, and I’m not really sure what was real, or meant to be realistic, or not.

In terms of performances Matt Damon does a good job, but in all honesty Jeremy Renner put in a far stronger performance in The Hurt Locker. Maybe it’s the strength of the script – The Hurt Locker was infinitely stronger and the effect more powerful.

Anyway if we look at Green Zone as a film mainly intended to entertain, it does succeed. It’s a good action thriller that, at the very least, attempts to examine the nature of warfare and the hunt for weapons of mass destruction as well as the people apparently intending to use them.

The direction is adequate and the performances from Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson and Amy Ryan are all passable without ever being Oscar worthy. It’s a bit long at around 2 hours but the pacing is good so it never feels boring.

Don’t go along to the cinema expecting to see another Jason Bourne film. There are similarities but this is also political in nature.

Author : Kevin Stanley