The flicks
With numbers stacked against them in 12 STRONG, this dozen really matters
12 STRONG (MA15+) Director: Nicolai Fuglsig (feature debut) Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Navid Negahban, Elsa Pataky. Rating: êêêê
A QUIETLY impressive war movie, adapted from a true story where you really “had to be there” to believe it.
The only thing is, no-one in their right mind would yearn to be part of the 2001 military operation code-named Task Force Dagger.
For this was a deadset suicide mission. (All details were withheld from the public for almost a decade).
In the weeks immediately following the 9/11 attacks, a tiny US Special Forces unit — yes, there was only a dozen of them in number — was sent to Afghanistan to spearhead a crucial offensive against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Conditions upon arrival were as punishing as they were primitive.
The Dagger squad was instructed to join forces with a local war lord to take back control of a city that carried immense strategic significance in what would become the longrunning ‘War on Terror’.
The mission would be carried out primarily on horseback. Sometimes even on foot. With communications spotty in the mountainous regions they were crossing, the Dagger unit often had to position themselves ridiculously close to the enemy.
Only then they could call in the supporting firepower of US bombers flying high above them. As a war movie, 12 Strong does a tremendous job of continually ramming home the terrifying nature of an assignment where the stakes were so high, and chances of success were so very low.
For example, just take a look at the central character in 12 Strong. Captain Mitch Nelson (played by Chris Hemsworth) was chosen as the leader of Task Force Dagger, despite having no actual combat experience in the field whatsoever.
This rookie comes into his own very quickly. Not only as an inspiring fighter with an incisive read of a live battlefield. But also as a diplomat who must improvise running repairs on America’s relationships with their allies in Afghanistan, which can often fall apart at a moment’s notice. In addition to an excellent support cast (led by Michael Shannon), 12 Strong also capitalises on a breakout performance from a complete unknown.
While brilliantly playing the charismatic Afghan war lord General Abdul Rashid Dostum, actor Navid Negahban also gets to deliver the best line in what is a deceptively perceptive and well-written screenplay.
America’s troubled post-WWII history of fighting in foreign lands is beautifully summed up when General Dostum tells Captain Nelson “you will not win here. You will be cowards if you leave. You will be enemies if you stay.”
THE SHAPE OF WATER (MA15+)
After this week’s Best Picture Oscar triumph, an Australian re-release for those who missed their chance over summer. After an agonising absence from the fantasy realm, master director Guillermo del Toro lets his imagination roam free once more. Just like his classic Pan’s Labyrinth, this film is very much a fairytale for adults, explicitly addressing themes such as sex, racism and gender discrimination that preclude it from reaching an all-ages audience. Nevertheless, mature minds yearning to be both challenged and charmed are in for a singular treat here. Sally Hawkins (Maudie) deeply impresses in the lead role of Elisa, a solitary mute working as a cleaner at a top-secret laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Through her expertise in sign language, Elisa finds a way to communicate with a strange amphibious creature being held captive and mistreated by military scientists. A surprisingly emotional and immersive experience, richly enhanced by both del Toro’s eye for detail and his feel for the human condition. (Screens exclusively this weekend at BCC Darwin.) Rating: êêêê
GOING FOR GOLD (G)
It is nearly 20 years since Hollywood came up with Bring It On, charming the world with a merry band of cherubic cheerleaders. Now Australia is having a very belated go at the same stuff. The end result? A total shambles which should have been titled Turn It Off. Mere words cannot express how awful this movie can be when it really puts its absent mind to it. Dialogue intended to reflect the with-it ways of modern teens regarding music, fashion, dance and social media is so far from finger-onthe-pulse, it is fingers-in-your-ears time. Seriously, the levels this thing hits on the uncool-o-meter gives every indication Going for Gold was written by someone whose last known contact with youth culture was accidentally watching the Disney Channel with the sound off. A dimly inane story is set in suburban Adelaide, where a newly arrived American teen starts a cheerleading squad with some new friends. Primarily so they can teach some bitchy enemies a lesson. Rating: No stars