By 
`71 ****
A group of soldiers are being kept under an exhausting military training as they try to put their dreams of revolution apart and step into an era they haven’t seen yet. Completely unprepared and unaware of the anguish and horrors of a war zone, they must forget the childhood and face their fears with the hard challenge of killing or getting killed. The evidence is shown a few minutes ahead, as they arrive in the area where brothers of the same nation, Catholics and Protestants battle themselves in Belfast. Something goes wrong, the riots cause uncountable injures on both sides, and one soldier (played by young revelation Jack O’Connell) becomes the center of the tragic incident, colliding with several obstacles and trying hard to stand still. After being chased by a gang of rebels, he finds a dark shelter to hide, and controlling his breathing, he cries. Only to begin, in this cruelty-filled sequence, the soldier demonstrates perplexity as he witnesses an action of torture, right after a grand dose of hopelessness when a partner is shot in his arms, and then he’s taken by the sense of being lost or being dead already. Director Yann Demange composes his Anti-war protest throughout the aspects of compassion, fragility and weakness of his wounded soldier. He uses his character to contemplate human values amidst the chaos, serving his soldier as a prey, a target everyone is aiming at. As he was left behind, the soldier attracts the attention of all parts, being hunt, searched and chased by his fellow comrades, rebel leaders, and also running into people just like him along the way. Infused with nonstop adrenaline and extremely violent, the film follows the soldier through an entire day as he tries to heal his wounds, escape from his predators, and tries to survive, so he can keep alive the hope of returning to the kid he left back home. The intensity of the film’s techniques, the trembling and pulsing camera reflecting the soldier’s turbulence, the disturbing and unexpected brutality and terrific performances, makes it one thrilling experience that proves to be much more efficient than most of big budget productions. And the film’s spirit lives on O’Connell, as the protagonist he’s making his way into stardom, deserving to be watched as one of the greatest talents of the decade. (Playing September 27th-28th at the 52nd New York Film Festival)
ALSO PLAYING
Foreign junk “Wetlands” is a complete turn-off as the protagonist exposes her sexual disorder and disgusting obsession for all things dirty making sex look awful. Dark comedy “Frank” is weirdly funny and original, following an eccentric group of musicians lead by a singer who wears a gigantic head. There’s nothing funny about “The One I Love”, a confusing comedy/fiction about a couple who believe they each have a clone staying at the same resort they checked in for the weekend, in order to try to save their marriage. Irreverent and sort of moving, “Skeleton Twins” feels like a TV commercial for prescription drugs but it manages to work out its issues, supported by amazing performances.
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