In the world of Doug Liman’s “The Wall,” war is solitude. There are no brothers-in-arms, no fellow comrades to lift spirits in times of despair. No romantic, handwritten letters to those you left behind, and may never see again.
Isolation becomes as quotidian as death. The mental health of soldiers deteriorates. Days blend into weeks almost as fast as months turn into years. After awhile, time is jettisoned while dread nestles in.
For the American officer in 2017, we hold these truths to be self-evident. There are no shortage of cautionary tales, some more enraging than others. And yet it’s rare that this complex agony is translated onto the silver screen. For all its potential, “The Wall” is, unfortunately, not the aberration we desperately need right now; it’s standard fare.
Set in the baking heat of Iraq, two U.S. Army Sergeants, Isaac (Aaron Tyler-Johnson) and Matthews (John Cena), are scouting a pipeline. It’s conspicuously vacant, littered with hollow bodies of contractors and private security. Unbeknownst to Isaac and Matthews, a distant sharpshooter is picking off any incoming traffic.
Liman strategically sets the stripped-down stage. This is not a Homeric war movie in the vein of “Platoon” or “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s also not another one of Liman’s frenetic, tightly-wound action films (“The Bourne Identity,” “Edge of Tomorrow”). “The Wall” begins as a low-key two-hander that unexpectedly turns into a three-hander upon the emergence of a sniper named “Juba” (Laith Nakli). The Iraqi killer is presented to us only through voice. We don’t see him.
After Matthews makes a miscalculation, Isaac is tasked with trying to save his life. Juba sits back from afar as Isaac and Matthews amble in and out of his crosshairs. The longer the day goes on, the more power Juba has over the situation. He hijacks Isaac’s radio frequency, fires bullets in his direction, and threatens to do more if they can’t just … talk.
This is where “The Wall” aims to be a different kind of movie about warfare: As Strother Martin famously observed in “Cool Hand Luke,” “What we have here is a failure to communicate,” which seems to be the central problem with Isaac and Juba. “The war is over,” Isaac pleads. “Then why are you here?” Juba asks. Neither has an answer the other wants. Bloodshed isn’t built on logic.
But despite this noble intention to create palpable tension — and dialogue — between two strangers, Dwain Worrell’s script repeatedly falls short. The camera focuses its attention squarely on Isaac; we see his suffering, his fear, his confusion. Rarely do Liman and Worrell pivot to Juba. Not only do we literally not see the shooter, but we’re also offered no insight into his headspace. There are platitudes hurled around about the futility of what they’re doing, and America’s duplicitous nature. Again and again, though, there is an absence of intimacy. We don’t know who these people are, and by about minute 45, we don’t want to.
Isaac continues to be pinned down by enemy fire. But where are the stakes when we know neither our hero nor the enemy? Worse, the screenplay forces us to view the opposition as villainous simply because they are given no other character traits.
As well-trained filmmaker, Liman understands where to place the camera and how to guide an action scene. There’s an especially gripping moment in which Isaac has been hit and has to remove the bullet lodged inside his leg. We’ve seen this before in movies, but Liman, with the assistance from his crew, understands how to communicate the pain.
Here and there, Taylor-Johnson reminds the audience that he can, in fact, act. Without anyone to truly bounce dialogue off of, he’s left to his own devices. Isaac does a lot of yelling, panting, and crying. All of it seems warranted, and some of it is convincing. This is where stronger screenwriting would fill the void.
“The Wall” aims to make a statement about the moral complexity of warfare. I’m just not sure what it is. Does Isaac represent the common soldier, uncertain of his obligations to America? Is Juba unexplained because, in this country, we’re uninterested in the explanation behind our ostensible enemies?
There are no answers here. There are hardly questions. The film is so minimalist that by the end there’s not much left at all.
25 Summer Movies We're Dying to See, From 'Alien: Covenant' to 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (Photos)
Summer 2017 is bringing a wealth of promising movies to the cineplez. Here are some of the buzziest.
May 5: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and scene-stealer Baby Groot pick up right where they left off in this sequel to the 2014 Marvel hit.
Disney
May 12: "Snatched"
CinemaCon attendees got to see some extended footage of the comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer, who play mother and daughter who go on a vacation together and get involved in some unexpected criminal activity. It looks hilarious, and the movie marks Hawn's return to the big screen after a 15-year absence.
Fox
May 19: "Alien: Covenant"
Fans of the "Alien" franchise have been looking forward to the new film, which welcomes back Michael Fassbender as both Walter/David, as well as new cast members Danny McBride, Katherine Waterston, James Franco and Demian Bichir.
Fox
May 19: "Everything, Everything"
Based on a best-selling YA novel, director Stella Meghie's "Everything, Everything" follows a girl (Amandla Stenberg) who has lived in solitude her entire life because she's allergic to everything, but takes an interest in the boy (Nick Robinson) who's moved in next door.
WB/MGM
May 26: "Baywatch"
Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Priyanka Chopra star in this comedic feature film take on the iconic TV series. The trailers we've seen so far just make fun of Efron's character, and the whole movie looks like eye candy for men and women alike.
Paramount
June 2: "Wonder Woman"
It only took 75 years, but after making a huge splash in last year's "Batman v Superman," DC Comics Amazonian Superheroine finally headlines her own movie this summer. The film stars Gal Gadot and is directed by Patty Jenkins.
Warner Bros.
June 9: "The Mummy"
Tom Cruise headlines this updated take on the classic Universal monster. The remake tells us the story of an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) who was denied her chance to be the next Pharaoh and wreaks havoc centuries after the fact.
Universal
June 16: "All Eyez On Me"
The Tupac Shakur biopic has excited fans since the announcement of the project, and further casting notices including that of Kat Graham and Danai Gurira have enticed fans further to look forward to its release.
Lionsgate
June 16: "Rough Night"
The first trailer for the film previously titled "Rock That Body" was full of sex, drugs and, yes, murder. It's no wonder that we're so eager to see the comedy starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon and Zoe Kravitz.
Sony
June 23: "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Michael Bay returns for his final "Transformers" movie and intends to go out with quite a bang -- literally. Mark Wahlberg also returns and Anthony Hopkins star in the latest installment which sees humanity at war with the Transformers while Optimus Prime is MIA.
Paramount
June 23: "The Big Sick"
Kumail Nanjiani's "The Big Sick" was one of the hottest titles at the Sundance Film Festival and is based on the true story of his relationship with his now-wife, co-screenwriter Emily Gordon (played on screen by Zoe Kazan). When she gets sick with a mysterious illness, he must team up with her parents to overcome the crisis.
Amazon
June 23: "The Beguiled"
Sofia Coppola's drama follows a girls' school in Virginia which takes in a wounded soldier. Soon, sexual tension and jealousy takes over the school. The period drama stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell.
Focus
June 28: "Baby Driver"
From director Edgar Wright, the film revolves around a young but talented getaway driver named Baby, played by Ansel Elgort. In a sign of confidence, Sony's TriStar moved up the release from the dead of August.
Sony
June 30: "Despicable Me 3"
Steve Carell plays not one but two characters in this movie -- Gru and his twin brother, Dru. And the duo team up for one last heist with the assistance, of course, of dozens of minions.
Universal
July 7: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"
After being introduced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year in "Captain America: Civil War," Tom Holland returns as the web crawler in his standalone film to face off against Michael Keaton's villainous Vulture. Robert Downey Jr. co-stars as Iron Man.
Sony
July 7: "A Ghost Story"
Hot off his Oscar win for "Manchester by the Sea," Casey Affleck stars in "A Ghost Story" alongside talented actress Rooney Mara, the film follows Affleck’s white-sheeted ghost who unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the woman he loves slowly slip away.
A24
July 7: "Step"
Buzzy Sundance doc "Step" follows a girls’ senior-year high school step team in inner-city Baltimore as they strive to become the first in their families to go to college.
Fox Searchlight
July 14: "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Director Matt Reeves returns for the third movie in the rebooted franchise after helming 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." This time, Woody Harrelson is the film's main antagonist, which combined with the franchise's epic CGI apes, should make for a solid sci-fi film.
Fox
July 21: "Dunkirk"
CinemaCon attendees also saw footage of Christopher Nolan's WWII epic, which stars Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Harry Styles as well as newcomer Fionn Whitehead in the lead role. Nolan fans and Styles fans are sure to flock to the theaters.
Warner Bros.
July 21: "Girls Trip"
Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah reunite 20 years after "Set It Off" along with Regina Hall. The ladies go on a girls trip to New Orleans, which obviously turns wild.
Universal
July 28: "Atomic Blonde"
Charlize Theron's bisexual spy thriller follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. Theron's Agent Lorraine Broughton is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery.
Focus
August 4: "Detroit"
Director Kathryn Bigelow and producing partner Mark Boal's highly anticipated followup to their acclaimed 2012 drama “Zero Dark Thirty" is another fact-based drama with a stellar cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jason Mitchell, Anthony Mackie and Jack Reynor. The film recounts the racially charged riots that rocked the Motor City in 1967.
August 4: "The Dark Tower"
Fans of Stephen King's genre-defying multi-book saga have been clamoring for a filmed version for decades and the first installment finally arrives with Idris Elba as the Gunslinger Roland Deschain chasing Matthew McConaughey's Man in Black across a highly stylized, scorched-earth landscape.
Sony
August 11: "Annabelle: Creation"
The followup to 2014's supernatural horror thriller "Annabelle" follows a couple who just lost their daughter -- but as soon as they invite a nun and some orphans into their home, some unexplained things begin to happen.
New Line
August 18: "The Hitman's Bodyguard"
Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson make a great duo in this action comedy. And Salma Hayek adds another layer of laughs to the movie, which follows a bodyguard (Reynolds) who must get one of the biggest hitman's in the world to The Hague. Obviously, the two have history.
Getty Images
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TheWrap Summer Movie Preview 2017: ”Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,“ ”Despicable Me 3“ and ”Atomic Blonde“ are also among season’s big releases
Summer 2017 is bringing a wealth of promising movies to the cineplez. Here are some of the buzziest.