Mendes's Jarhead, a forgotten gem, explores the complex psychology of the Gulf War

Jarhead - Sam Mendes - 2005

★★★★-Operation Dessert Storm movie. Portrayed in all its futility, with the Iraq War just getting started at the time of its release. Doesn't exactly make me wish I had enlisted instead of going to school. 

Directed by Sam Mendes. He also did American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Skyfall, Spectre, and 1917. A real talent, this guy. Have to be to get a pair of Bond films. 

The film delves into the psychological study of a U.S. Marine sniper during the Gulf War dealing with existential issues with meaning, purpose, and boredom. Hones in on the isolation and monotony that the soldiers experienced in that mostly forgotten war. Adapted from Anthony Swofford's memoir of the same name.

The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford, who gives a great performance. Shows a lot of subdued range. Others in the ensemble include Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Dennis Haysbert, and Chris Cooper, who are all at the top of their collective games. 

Criticized for a lack of a strong emotional impact. I strongly disagreed with that assessment, as the movie hammers home the delayed psychological effects of traumatic experiences in a morally dubious war that started a fight with consequences for a generation that are still ever-present. A good introspective exploration of war. Definite recommend, even as one opposed to both this war and the next one. 

Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan - 2017

★★★★★ - Christopher Nolan is an absolute genius. He is in my top five filmmakers of all time. I love all of his films. This might be his best.

Tells of the Dunkirk evacuation through the perspectives of the land, sea, and air. Chronology is all over the place before coming together at the end. Has what he calls a “snowballing effect” where everything connects but is made clear in the third act. This is something he does in most of his movies to great effect.

Stellar cast includes Aneurin Barnard, Kenneth Branagh, James D'Arcy, Tom Glynn-Carney, Tom Hardy, Barry Keoghan, Jack Lowden, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles in his film debut, and Fionn Whitehead. Mostly character actors that you know, but not by name.

The film is the highest-grossing World War II film of all-time, which is nuts, earning $527 million worldwide. Dunkirk received praise for its screenplay, direction, musical score, sound effects and cinematography; some critics called it Nolan's best work, and one of the greatest war films. The film received various accolades, Received eight nominations for the 90th Academy Awards including for Best Picture and Best Director (Nolan's first directing nomination) and won three for editing.

What is crazy is Nolan conceived the film in the 1990s before ever making a feature film when he and his future wife Emma Thomas sailed across the English Channel along the path the small boats took in the evacuation. However, Nolan didn't set out to make it until he had acquired sufficient experience directing large-scale action films, wanting to do it right.

Features an economy of dialogue instead creating suspense from cinematography and music. Historically accurate, apparently, if you care about such things. However, the characters were fictional.

My overall takeaway was the film is truly breathtaking. Wish I would have seen it in IMAX. It might be my favorite WWII movie. I was glued to the screen the entire time.