Review of Tigerland (2000) by Alison O — 29 Aug 2004

Best in Show: Colin Farrell.

One for the future: Colin Farrell.

Stand-out scene: Swamp accident.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

No wonder Joel Schumacher wanted Colin Farrell for the lead in Phone Booth (and for that matter a role in Veronica Guerin), in this, their first collaboration, the Irish actor puts in an career-making performance as reluctant 'Nam conscriptee Roland Bozz. Whereas most Vietnam movies are set squarely in the theatre of war, this movie is a set excusively during pre-war training. Evoking Full Metal Jacket - which was split between training and war - Tigerland (so-called after the simulated 'Nam conditions training camp in Louisiana) is set in 1971, when America's grip on the war was well and truly over. Their solution was to throw more soldiers at the problem, however unsuited they were for combat. Schumacher (can this possibly be the same director who made the hopelessly cack-handed Batman Forever??) shot the film in less than 30 days on 16mm film, using handheld cameras and with no artificial lighting, let alone special effects, which gives the movie a Soderberghian feel.