Review of Saints and Soldiers (2003) by Hugo G — 12 May 2009

I do not understand the praise heaped on this film - it feels entirely made up of cliches. This is a gung-ho, preachy war story - not necessarily a problem if it's done right. But the acting (crucial in a movie like this, where character is more important than action) is fairly dire, with kirby heyborne putting on the worst british accent I have ever heard in a serious performance.

indeed the characters themselves are a problem, forming that staple of war films, the cross section of america (the devout small town boy to the cynical city slicker), while the british character, when he's introduced, is astonishingly stereotypically portrayed.

meanwhile the story is predictable, the score sounds actively ripped off from saving private ryan and the religious overtones heavy-handed. that said, the visual style is reminiscent of band of brothers (not a bad thing) there are indeed some tense scenes, and in all fairness the makers were operating on a very low budget.

overall though, this is sub-saving private ryan fare, featuring all of that movie's weaknesses and very few of its strengths.