Review of Taking Chance (2009) by Josh M — 25 Mar 2009

Much like United 93, Taking Chance takes a very political issue - in this case, the Iraq War - and takes a decidedly apolitical stance on it, narrowing its focus only to the human cost involved with the project.

And, also much like United 93, the results are devastating. I'd be fundamentally dishonest if I didn't admit that this absolutely wrecked me for much of its short running time; its tale of a senior Marine escorting the body of a boy killed in action home to his family is a simple one, and yet powerful.

To the film's considerable credit, there's not a lot of dialogue here. The film works mainly through quiet images, ranging from watching the body be processed to watching two Marines arriving at the family's home in the middle of the night to deliver the news.

Never anything less than respectful, Taking Chance never feels manipulative, to me, nor does it feel mawkish; rather, it ends up quietly driving home the sacrifice made by so many, and makes the viewer more aware of the humanity behind the face of the war.

It's an absolutely heartbreaking film, and much like United 93, it affected me deeply. I don't know that I'd be able to watch it again, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone - in fact, in some ways, I think these two films should be required viewing for a lot of people, especially politicians in charge of it all.