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War Machine

War Machine

Movie · 2017 · 3 people

David Michôd both wrote and directed War Machine (2017), an American comedy that satirises war. Its source is journalist Michael Hastings's The Operators, an inside account of America's war in Afghanistan, and the film fictionalises what the book describes, drawing on four-star US Army General Stanley McChrystal's time at the head of the coalition forces. The film reached Netflix on 26 May 2017, runs 122 minutes and cost about 60 million dollars. Brad Pitt is both its star and a producer.

Pitt plays General Glen McMahon, a fictional commander modelled on McChrystal: a confident, showy man who takes charge of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Convinced that one bold push will end the war, McMahon clashes with politicians in Washington and with his own staff. The arrival of a Rolling Stone reporter in his circle shakes his image beyond repair. Topher Grace plays Matt Little, RJ Cyler is Andy Moon and Scoot McNairy is Sean Cullen. Tilda Swinton, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Michael Hall, Anthony Hayes, Emory Cohen, Will Poulter, Griffin Dunne, John Magaro and Russell Crowe round out the wide cast.

Nick Cave composed the score, and the film was presented as a satire focused on the people who run America's war campaign in Afghanistan.

DirectorDavid Michôd
Production companyNetflix

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Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

John Magaro John Magaro Actor · 43 years old Tilda Swinton Tilda Swinton Actor · 65 years old Russell Crowe Russell Crowe Actor · 62 years old

Through different eyes

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Brad Pitt, Afghanistan and a general: a surprise if you are expecting a war movie, because what you get is satire. Rather than front-line thrills, it is the clashes with Washington, friction with his own staff and image problems that take centre stage. At that pace, 122 minutes feels long. Still, Pitt's cocky, showy general is a fun character to watch. Put it on for the behind-the-scenes side of war, not for action.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

War Machine starts from journalist Michael Hastings's inside account of the war in Afghanistan and recreates General Stanley McChrystal's time in command through a fictional character. What makes it interesting is that it looks for the war not on the front line but in the meetings and image worries of the people running it. A commander convinced that one bold push will end the war recalls a familiar illusion about military interventions in faraway countries. That a single reporter's presence can shake a general's image also prompts thought about the media's role in modern warfare. Bearing in mind that it is fictionalised, it is a good starting point for understanding the period.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Michôd's biggest problem is tone. On one side the film wants to be a black comedy built around Pitt's exaggerated, almost cartoonish general; on the other it wants to convey the weight of the war in earnest, and these two aims keep getting in each other's way. Where the satire ought to sharpen, it leans on explanatory storytelling, and the 122-minute running time leaves a sense of loose editing. In a wide cast that includes Tilda Swinton and Ben Kingsley, many actors seem to get little room. Nick Cave's score adds a layer of its own. An ambitious, interesting attempt that does not quite hit its target.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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