Jarhead

"Jarhead" is not a war movie, nor is it really a movie about war. Instead, this is the story about a group of young Marines going through training as they wait for their chance to go to war. While the eventual destination is the first Gulf War, we see that the real struggle is in trying to find their own cause in life and in dealing with intense training. Also, be assured that there is not a political overtone to the story.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Anthony Swofford, whose Marine experience we follow from the point of entering boot camp to his first year at home after returning from Iraq. Swofford is assigned to an elite sniper squad who report to a demanding sergeant (Jamie Foxx). The best part of the movie is experiencing the hardships of training and the mental strain that the men go through. Then, much to their excitement, the group gets shipped off to take part first in Desert Shield which eventually becomes Desert Storm. Their frustrations and boredom build as they sit in the scorching desert waiting for some kind of action, only to be told to sit still while negotiations continue.

Unfortunately, this is where I also became increasingly bored with the story. Don't misunderstand me on this. While Gyllenhaal is at the heart of "Jarhead", every single performance is outstanding. And granted, while I have never endured anything close to boot camp, the story is unflinching. But as the men continue to sit and wait for something to happen, so do the rest of us. While they must come to terms with the idea that going to war may not equate to putting into action what they have trained so hard to do, as a moviegoer I expect things to happen on the big screen. I, much like Swofford, was enthralled with the training, excited about the idea of a big battle, but left feeling a little unaccomplished when all was said and done. Great acting, solid story, just no big finish in the end. I give it a B+.

"Jarhead" is rate R with a running time of 115 minutes.