Lone Survivor (16) ****
Based on the book of the same name, Lone Survivor tells the true story about a US Navy SEALs op that went very badly wrong.
Set during the mid-2000s and the war in Afghanistan, US military were involved at that time in a top-secret mission called Operation Red Wings - designed to target extremists and high-ranking members of the Taliban.
In a bid to positively identify target Ahmed Shah, the US decides to send in four SEALs, lead by Mark Wahlberg’s character, on a covert operation in the Hindu Kush region to ensure they’ve got the right man before they call for back up to capture him.
But what nobody can plan for is the unforgiving landscape of the Afghan mountains, or the loyalties and opinions of the people who live on the ground.
Part action movie, part character-driven drama, Lone Survivor largely gets the balance perfectly right in telling this powerful story.
The story almost feels like it’s being played out in real time, cutting between intense scenes among the four men and the panic back at barracks as their commander (Eric Bana) tries to locate them and get them out safely.
At times the patriotism and flag-waving’s a tad overcooked but that’s erased by the emotional closing credits, depicting the real men and their families. It makes a fitting finale to what is a flawed but very powerful war movie.
The Armstrong Lie (15A) ****
One of sport’s most controversial characters is the subject of documentary maker Alex Gibney’s latest movie.
Originally pitched as a fly-on-the-wall look at Armstrong’s return to the Tour De France in 2009, the movie took on a different complexion when several commentators and former team mates accused the cyclist of doping, forcing him into an eventual confession.
The revealing documentary gives a very good overview of Armstrong’s downfall and the characters who helped make it happen, and includes a new interview with the sports cheat himself.
The Armstrong Lie looks at sheer extent of Armstrong’s deceit in a sport that was rife with corruption. It also tells the story of the Irish masseuse and journalists who were among the first to blow the whistle.
But most revealing are the lengthy interviews with Armstrong himself. Some were recorded when he continued to deny he’d ever used blood doping, EPO or performance-enhancing drugs. And many more were recorded in the months after he finally confessed.
One scene even shows Armstrong’s team bus stopped at the side of the road during the Tour de France, surrounded by fans, as the cyclists blood doped inside the blacked-out windows. We also see footage of him teasing drugs testers who arrive at his family home to take blood and urine samples.
