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    Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” is being sold exclusively as a comedy. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that there was more to it than just laughs. I enjoyed this film even while being somewhat dissatisfied that it only dabbles in the material and themes it’s exploring.

    Television journalist Kim Baker (Tina Fey) volunteers to a war correspondent in Afghanistan. Unsure what to make of her situation at first, she is prompted by Australian reporter Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie) to take advantage of her newfound power. Back home she was just a slightly above average female professional, but here? She’s seriously appealing to the soldiers, politicians and general populace of the country.

    First thing you need to know about this picture is that it’s equal parts comedy and drama. At first “WTF” focuses on Kim adapting to her new position in Afghanistan. You get some fish-out-of-water comedy as she tries to wrap her mind around the fact that she’s not in America anymore, the exasperated soldiers around her have to interrupt their routines because the newcomer planned her day out poorly, she’s shocked to discover what life is really like in the Middle-East etc. It’s standard comedy stuff but I enjoyed it because of Tina Fey’s delivery. As Kim adapts to her new home, she becomes very good at coming up with creative insults or quick comebacks when she’s angry. Fey also manages to give the bizarre warnings or pieces of advice she’s given by the locals that much more comedic impact. It’s not fall-out-of-your seat funny but I got at least a dozen or so laughs out of Kim and her adventures.

    During the first half of the story you’ll be laughing due to the outrageous elements introduced. General Hollanek (Billy Bob Thornton) feeling the need to tell her not to sleep with his men because they’ll be distracted by her presence? That’s funny. You think to yourself “what kind of statement is that? ” When the second half begins you realize those warnings were no laughing matter. I found the dramatic portion of the film very interesting. I’d compare it to someone thinking that taking a year’s worth of savings and moving to some poor country where you can buy bread for 25 cents is a great idea. At first it’s awesome, you’re rich, the weather’s nice, people are friendly… but eventually it all comes crashing down and you realize that this place is nice to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there because a new civil war has just started. This story is about a woman who has suddenly moved to a place where women don’t have the same rights as men. For all of the privileges she finds given to her, she finds just as many, if not more instances where she’s being discriminated against or treated unfairly. It becomes downright dangerous for our heroine. Suddenly she realizes that flaunting herself, the non-stop partying and drinking that she’s been doing have come back to bite her in the butt. She hasn’t been taking Afghanistan seriously at all. We’ve seen movies where minorities get treated unfairly but usually it’s blatant offenses like being denied the right to vote, or outright slavery. Here’s it’s some of those same issues but to a lesser extent, though it’s no less frightening for the person in question. I liked seeing a more present-day take on the idea. It’s still going on right now.

    I would have enjoyed a more in-depth look at what the real Kim Baker must have experienced, less of the goofy stuff and more of the hard-hitting truths. To be fair, the lighter tone makes the subject matter very digestible and it is enjoyable throughout. When it’s funny I laughed a lot and when it’s more serious I was hungry to see more. The plot drifts around aimlessly for a long period of time, simply showing us the day-to-day life of Kim Baker when suddenly a real plot is thrust upon us during the last act. This is an instance where I would have dropped the “more exciting” stuff to focus simply on the protagonist or give us a more introspective conclusion about the plight of women in the Middle East, or women journalists travelling abroad instead. I like the characters present, the actors and the performances. I just wanted something meatier from the story.

    I don’t know if “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” is a film I’m going to revisit anytime soon, but I’m glad to have seen it. I complained earlier about the fact that the film is being somewhat unfairly sold to the audience by focussing on the comedy, but that drama I’ve been talking about comes in during the second half so it’s a very smooth transition. I found it very entertaining so I hope you get a chance to check it out. (Theatrical version on the big screen, March 21, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  23.3.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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