Friday 26 June 2020

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2015, released 2016 Glenn Ficarra & John Requa)

It's great when you find something you've never heard of and it turns out to be fabulous. So I was flicking through the Margot Robbie back catalogue (because she's good) and came upon WTF, which is either a black comedy about war, politics and journalism, or a drama about war, politics and journalism told with humour. Does it matter? It should have been on my radar anyway because of Ficarra and Requa.

Tina Fey carries it well as the new intrepid war correspondent in Afghanistan ('Kabubble') where she encounters a protective local guide Fahim, played by Christopher Abbott (Catch-22's Yossarian, also First Man), correspondents Margot Robbie (who you just know is going to do something underhand) and Scot Martin Freeman, cameraman Nicholas Braun and security guy Stephen Peacocke. During her three year service she also runs into General Billy Bob Thornton, a slimy politician (Alfred Molina) and a soldier, Evan Jonigkeit.

This is all based on Kim Barker's autobiography 'The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan', written by Robert Carlock, whose credits included SNL and 30 Rock.

Really good use of music throughout. Photographed by Xavier Grobet (the earlier Ficarra / Requa picture I Love You Phillip Morris, The Woodsman) and edited by Jan Kovac (Focus).

Has a misty eyed ending too. Really good.





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