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The Wall

The enemy in The Wall – Doug Liman’s caught-in-the-crosshairs thriller – is never seen, only heard, and the first we hear from him is the harsh report of a high-calibre bullet. Soldiers Aaron Taylor-johnson and John Cena are lingering in Iraq for clean-up, as the war “winds down” in 2007. Using a long-distance scope, they survey a scene of slaughter at a pipeline facility, littered with the bodies of felled contractor­s. As they make the mistake of getting a closer look, they become the next prey.

The craft is lean, on a mere $3million budget, and Liman doesn’t waste shots, but the writing just won’t quit, determined to prove this as a microcosm for the involvemen­t in Iraq. Had it tried a softer sell, it would have been tempting to stop and listen.

 ??  ?? Deadweight: The Wall is a disappoint­ing offering from director Doug Liman
Deadweight: The Wall is a disappoint­ing offering from director Doug Liman

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