Buffalo Soldiers - ** 1/2
Now Playing: (2003, Gregor Jordan) [seen on DVD]
Many reviews of this military satire have likened it to MASH but I thought more of the novel Catch-22 and Mike Nichols' adaptation of it, because while Altman's film deals with nonconformists who rebel against the insanity of war, this film and two version of Catch-22 are more about the boredom of military men when there's no war for them to fight. This film takes place in Germany during the presidency of Bush pere, and the story is centered around Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix), a criminal-turned-soldier who takes advantage of the lack of activity to run an extensive black-market operation out of the base. His superior officer, played by Ed Harris, is oblivious to his activities, but when a new Top (Scott Glenn) arrives on the scene, he goes out of his way to keep Elwood on a tight leash (these urges are compounded exponentially by Elwood's pursual of his daughter, played by Anna Paquin). The film's opening reels have a suitably aimless feel to them, as though shady dealings are Elwood's only way to relieve the tedium of this pointless posting, but the film builds somewhat in tension as Glenn tightens the screws. The three leads are all solid- Phoenix oozes an oily charm, Harris gives his ineffectual character a surprising dignity, and Glenn is especially good as a scary guy who only gets scarier as the film progresses. If the film doesn't really have anything new to say, it says what it says in a fairly interesting way, with style and a pitch-black sense of humor.