WAR MACHINE: Uneven, Over The Top War Satire

Despite all the people working against Netflix (yes, I’m talking about you, Cannes people), they are constantly trying to be a serious movie business. So far, I can’t say that it has succeeded. Movies like The Discovery have a hard time engaging the viewer on such a small screen. From your big Smart TV to your tiny Macbook Pro, Netflix’s movies don’t seem to translate well on the smaller screen. Netflix knows this, as it’s trying to get their latest critically acclaim Okja into theatres, without much success, may I add. Brad Pitt‘s latest attempt, War Machine, fails to stand out from all the other Netflix original movies.

Based on the book The Operator: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings, War Machine tells the story of four-star general, Glenn McMahon (Brad Pitt), as he tries to bring the war in Afghanistan to a stop. As his efforts aren’t working, a journalist is trying to tear down his reputation by writing a nasty exposé.

Bottom Pitt

All of Netflix’s recent movies are crafty and offer great visual camera work. War Machine is no different. There are stylistic choices made in terms of the visuals, and its craftiness makes it look of a high production value. On top of that, it’s a movie that has something to say, but beyond that its various wounds stop it from being good.

Like I said, the story and satire start off promising, but then the star, Brad Pitt, arrives on screen, where we’re greeted with a narration stating his importance and reputation. Just by looking at Pitt, you can’t tell. He does some weird choices concerning his character. He starts making some awkward facial expressions that just look silly and far from funny. His weird eye positions and fake voice get pretty annoying. By the end, he brings his character so far into caricature, that it’s hard for the viewer to root or relate to him. It makes him look like he’s just a B-level actor on a B-level streaming service. Obviously, this is not good for both Pitt and Netflix.

From Serious To Disaster

War Machine‘s constant tonal shifts are jarring at best. It has a hard time changing between its more serious tone to the satire it tries so hard to achieve. Its preoccupation with its own tone fails to advance the plot, giving little character development or story elements. To compensate for this, the film layers a narration to constantly tell us important character points or plot development. It points out actions we are seeing on screen or the agenda it has a hard time promoting. This could have been easily fixed if the director would have just followed the golden rule of filmmaking – show, don’t tell.

However, the film has a purpose. Yet, that message gets watered down by the bland satire. It has a genuinely serious message about war to deliver, but it’s robbed from potential. Pitt‘s silly performance is also working against the message. His over-the-top caricature representation just can’t be taken seriously and rubs off on the overall message as well. The biggest culprit is the satire that doesn’t blend well with the overall commentary.

War & Peace

Overall, the message of War Machine is something different and ambitious. It attacks the Afghanistan war as a pointless and imperialistic move. The idea to focus on the end of such a war gives way to the inevitable message of peace and calls to stop global conflicts. It’s a heavy and ambitious statement that needed a lot more force from this war movie. The satire ultimately gets in the way of the message, leaving it without impact.

War Machine wants so hard to deliver a satirical commentary, but too many over-the-top elements keep from delivering it with an impact. Not to say that it doesn’t deliver it; it does so directly. The narration constantly telling us the gist of the story, never letting us figure out for ourselves.

With all the annoying elements thrown in, War Machine becomes a parody of war movies, while still trying to cling onto the serious. It just doesn’t fully weave together, even if on the surface it might seem ambitious. I got where they wanted to go, but the execution is a muddle. The Lobster was able to perfectly blend satire into its message concerning modern relationships. War Machine, on the hand, doesn’t blend satire into its commentary. It leaves it on the sideline and takes a more serious approach when talking (obviously not showing) about how war is bad.

Conclusion

From weak message delivery to Brad Pitt‘s awkward performance to the annoying narration, War Machine fails on multiple levels. With a movie with this many things going on, it needed a disciplinary director that could have done it justice. As of yet, I have failed to see a good movie coming from Netflix, and it’s such a shame. They will need to regroup, learn from their mistakes, and try again. For a studio trying to change the way we see movies, it’s a shame that they just can’t get it right. Here’s to hoping that the controversial Cannes’ entry, Okja, will finally change Netflix’s fortune around.

What are your thoughts on War Machine? What is your favourite Netflix movie?

War Machine is now available on Netflix.