War, Inc

Tamerlane used the exact same RPG firing pin rod assembly technology that it uses in the prosthetic knees of its dancing legs.

It has tanks, it has wit, it has anorexics who demand fried chicken, what more do you want?

Scene

If have I got News for you did an entire film taking the piss out of the war in Iraq and various other aspects of American ideology; it would be like War, Inc. Although I don’t think Paul Merton would be as good as John Cusack (no offence Paul). The film is set in fictional “Turaqistan” where war has become privatised and everyone wants a piece of the pie. Brand Hauser (Cusack) is an assassin posing as a Trade Show Producer who has to take out an oil tycoon, organise a high-profile wedding and keep a sexy left-wing reporter in check. Sounds crazy right? It is. Bat-shit surreal.

Take

I swore I’d never forgive John Cusack after “2012” but technically this was made before so we’re ok. Oh and I might still see that Edgar-Allen-Poe-as-a-detective film, The Raven, just because I’m a sucker for punishment.

I don’t know how Cusack ever got the budget for the film but I am glad he did. Co-writing, producing and acting might have helped fund the thing I guess. And some money for advertising Popeye’s chicken maybe. As I said the film is surreal, and certainly attempts to make some poignant remarks about the commercialisation of war and Western Culture in general. On the whole I think it achieved it’s aim but you can’t help but feel that some of the satire was lacking in ferocity. It wasn’t quite as blunt as say, Four Lions.

However an excellent cast certainly help matters. John Cusack is formidable as the soulless satire of an assassin (poetry) but for me the star of the show was Joan Cusack (sister not wife) who was laugh out loud mental. Brittany Murphy is in it too, she is borderline anorexic, or attractive as some people would call it. And then you’ve got Ben Kingsley as the Vice Roy and Dan Ackroyd as a ‘vice-president’ (unmistakably Dick Cheney), brilliant!

Director

Not much to say about the director, Joshua Seftel, he is relatively unknown. He did some Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? Who gives a shit.

And... Cut.

It was good to see John Cusack only acting that he had lost his soul, not actually doing it like he did in 2012. War, inc is the kind of film Cusack belongs in. It’s up there with the highlights of his career, High Fidelity and Being John Malkovich. Cusack isn’t a superstar, he’s a poor man’s Kevin Spacey and I like him better for it. War, Inc is an indie film, which is what Cusack should stick with.

Some of the critics were harsh but fuck ‘em, this is worth seeing. And you’ll probably get in the bargain bin at Blockbuster for £1.50.