Full Battle Rattle (Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss, 2008)

[davebert]

Caught the film with Q&A last Friday; even got some swag bracelets for the trouble. My schedule has been so packed that it came down to which film to catch, Herzog's Encounters or Full Battle Rattle, before they closed their respective runs at FF. While Encounters no doubt looks fantastic on the big screen, the fact that ThinkFilm is distributing means I could rest assured that I'd be seeing it on DVD in a few months.

I was dismayed (but heartened in that I felt I made the right choice) to hear during the Q&A that no national distro had been picked up yet. It's really too bad, as I thought the film was a brilliant, searing mix of humor and pathos, taken well beyond the level of tinkering with the bizarre technological aspects of such virtual training that initially drew me in.

Shame the film hadn't been made and released a few years ago, as it would have made compelling and foolproof material for a final paper on Virilo's War and Cinema in J. Hoberman's Post-9/11 Film class. Shucks.

[sskeats]

Thanks Davebert for checking it out. I'm relieved to have some forum member's endorsement of FULL BATTLE RATTLE like yourself and not just the critics opinion to back up this clearly prejudicial dad.

The film is running there until at least July 22nd and I hope others will get down there to see a truly worthy film.

Just discovered there was a Q&A with the directors at the 8pm screenings on July 17 and July 18.

Too late for today...but not for tomorrow. Ask some tough questions if you can get there. I know they're hoping for some.

[Barmy]

Dear God, this film is blatantly antiwar/lefty. Maybe less lefty than Stop Loss and its abhorrent ilk (thank God for small favors), but still. It's truly sad when something like this is presented by the enemedia as balanced or neutral. BTW I was dragged to it by a friend. I didn't hate it.

[sskeats]

Interesting...because the film was faulted at Berlin by both Variety and Hollywood Reporter as too even handed and not taking a stand.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't...I'd like to hear from your friend who dragged you in.

Cause if you didn't hate it, you don't seem to be saying so.

[domino harvey]

For Barmy, the above is as close to an unqualified rave as you're apt to get!

[sskeats]

Thanks for that, Domino. Now I understand...so thank you and thank you, Barmy.

Jerry

[sskeats]

This just broke and I thought you might find it interesting.

[sskeats]

Quite an interesting piece in today's Wall Street Journal which illustrates the many levels that this film is working. It's in the opinion editors section, not in the movie reviews.