By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Clifton Collins | Colin Farrell | Jr. | Matthew Davis | Tom Guiry
Country: united_states
Year: 2001
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0170691
Kevin says: “Colin Farrell gave one of my favorite performances in a really long time. Did you notice how bad Matthew Davis was as his side-kick; absolutely terrible! Apparently if you have a pretty face you can do whatever you want. I thought it was ably directed and filmed, although the script was weak in points. One of the highlights for me was Tom Guiry’s soldier who is telling his story to Farrell and Davis’s characters while they’re peeling potatoes. 3.5 cats”
Michael says: Although officially released in 2000, TIGERLAND qualifies for this year’s Chltorudis Awards due to its late release in other parts of the country, including Boston. There was a lot of talk among critics about TIGERLAND, most notably, lead actor Colin Farrell who won the Best Actor Award given out by the Boston Film Critics. I liked the movie despite the somewhat stock characters and slightly cliched, albeit mythical story.
“Farrell plays Bozz, a rebellious soldier-in-training in his last weeks before being shipped out to Viet Nam. His fellow soldiers make up the usual crowd, the idealistic young man fighting for his country, the sadistic brute who only wants to kill, the man so full of fear that he tries to cover it up with bravado, etc. Yet director Joel Schumacher manages to weave a fairly compelling at times moving portrait of the conflicting emotions about Viet Nam many of these young men must have felt.
“The acting was good all around, with Farrell leading the pack. I found his performance quite impressive. I usually hate that type of character, but I felt Farrell was pretty three dimensional, even when you knew what he was going to do. Another terrific performance came from TRAFFIC’s Clifton Collins Jr. as the poor sap made to be platoon leader of this volatile crew who tries to get through on bluster, while terrified inside.
“Direction and cinematography by Chlotrudis- fave Matthew Libatique maintained a gritty, dismal view that nonetheless captured moments of beauty.” 3 cats