Review of Home of the Brave (2006) by Timothy S — 29 Apr 2012

I don't know why the aftermath of the Vietnam War resulted in so many landmark films and yet only one filmmaker has been able to properly capture the trauma surrounding those touched by the Iraqi conflict. For the record, that filmmaker is not Irwin Winkler. His film, "Home of the Brave", is a huge disappointment.

This is an obvious, heavy-handed drama with some good writing and a couple of strong performances. Samuel L. Jackson is almost always very good even in the worst of films, and this is no exception. There are a few over-the-top moments here that are either embarrassing or unintentionally funny, but Jackson also provides the film's few genuine moments as well. The scenes with his wife and son are touching, but the rest of the cast doesn't fare quite as well.

Curtis Jackson is totally forgettable in a stock role that doesn't really give him a lot to do, and Jessica Biel is all wrong for her part. She's been good in other films, but it's hard to take her seriously in this role. She doesn't look like a war veteran, and she doesn't act like one either. When she gets her Vietnam-era prosthetic , I felt sorrier for the actress than her character. I thought technology had come a little farther than that.

But the real problem here lies with the script. These characters feel more like excuses for the screenwriter tow ax poetic on the virtues and drawbacks of the war than real people. They're like talking heads extolling obvious talking points and the writers go to great extremes to make them fit into the context of this story. Other than Jackson's handful of good moments, none of these characters have any genuine dramatic impact. Sadly enough, the same can be said for "Home of the Brave". This is a glib and obvious movie.