Just for the record, at least here on IMDb, I think this is an underrated film. And I say that as a person who very rarely likes movies about the military. My dad was in the military most of his adult life, and when he would come home on leave he would always drag me to some war film. I hated it. So, I rarely watch a war movie. But this is a keeper.
First, the cast. And let me review the actors in the order of how impressive they were in this film. Denzel Washington, as a Lieutenant Colonel investigating whether a dead female captain should receive the Medal Of Honor, and who himself may have been involved in friendly fire deaths, and who has an alcohol problem, is excellent. Lou Diamond Phillips, as a Staff Sergeant who was at the helicopter crash where the female soldier was killed, is superb here (I never knew he was such a hunk...just for the record). Regina Taylor, as the wife of Washington, is excellent! Meg Ryan, the helicopter pilot who dies, is good, but although her role is pivotal, this is not a very good showcase of her talents, and I do not see her here as the co-star to Denzel Washington. I found Matt Damon rather unimpressive here, but of course, this was just before his breakthrough role that immediately followed this film. Bronson Pinchot was an interesting choice as a White House aide, and he does okay. Michael Moriarty is good as a Brigadier General, as is Scott Glenn as a Washington Post reporter.
While I can't say whether or not the Iraq battle scenes were realistic, they impressed me.
Despite some inconsistencies, I think the story is a good one. And not a simple one, since the issues that Denzel Washington's character has are complicating his investigation of whether or not Ryan's character should receive the Medal Of Honor. Washington does an admirable job of mixing all these factors and fleshing out the character traits of his role. In fact, this was one of Washington's early films which convinced me that he was an actor that America should treasure.
Despite a few flaws, highly recommended.
First, the cast. And let me review the actors in the order of how impressive they were in this film. Denzel Washington, as a Lieutenant Colonel investigating whether a dead female captain should receive the Medal Of Honor, and who himself may have been involved in friendly fire deaths, and who has an alcohol problem, is excellent. Lou Diamond Phillips, as a Staff Sergeant who was at the helicopter crash where the female soldier was killed, is superb here (I never knew he was such a hunk...just for the record). Regina Taylor, as the wife of Washington, is excellent! Meg Ryan, the helicopter pilot who dies, is good, but although her role is pivotal, this is not a very good showcase of her talents, and I do not see her here as the co-star to Denzel Washington. I found Matt Damon rather unimpressive here, but of course, this was just before his breakthrough role that immediately followed this film. Bronson Pinchot was an interesting choice as a White House aide, and he does okay. Michael Moriarty is good as a Brigadier General, as is Scott Glenn as a Washington Post reporter.
While I can't say whether or not the Iraq battle scenes were realistic, they impressed me.
Despite some inconsistencies, I think the story is a good one. And not a simple one, since the issues that Denzel Washington's character has are complicating his investigation of whether or not Ryan's character should receive the Medal Of Honor. Washington does an admirable job of mixing all these factors and fleshing out the character traits of his role. In fact, this was one of Washington's early films which convinced me that he was an actor that America should treasure.
Despite a few flaws, highly recommended.