War Machine

2017
TV-MA
2h 2m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

51K

YOUR RATING

Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Daniel Betts, Topher Grace, Anthony Hayes, Emory Cohen, John Magaro, Aymen Hamdouchi, and RJ Cyler in War Machine (2017)

An absurdist war story for our times, writer-director David Michod (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General's roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody - raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today. His is an exploration of a born leader's ultra-confident march right into the dark heart of folly. At the story's core is Brad Pitt's sly take on a successful, charismatic four-star general who leapt in like a rock star to command NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to be taken down by a journalist's no-holds-barred expose.

Play trailer0:31

3 Videos

78 Photos

Satire Comedy Drama War

An idiosyncratic general confronts opposition from enemies, allies, and bureaucrats while leading a massive rebuilding operation in Afghanistan.An idiosyncratic general confronts opposition from enemies, allies, and bureaucrats while leading a massive rebuilding operation in Afghanistan.An idiosyncratic general confronts opposition from enemies, allies, and bureaucrats while leading a massive rebuilding operation in Afghanistan.

Director
- David Michôd
Writers
- Michael Hastings
- David Michôd
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

51K

YOUR RATING

Director
- David Michôd
Writers
- Michael Hastings
- David Michôd
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 nominations

Videos3

Photos78

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Despite being an anti-Afghanistan war movie, Pentagon reporter Helene Cooper spoke with The New York Times podcast "The Daily" that "everybody at the Pentagon is talking about (War Machine). It's a very anti-Afghanistan war movie, but the guys who you think would be offended by it, love it", Cooper added. "It's amazing to me. So many of them have lost colleagues, they've lost fellow soldiers and are constantly asking, 'What are we still doing there? What are we fighting for?' But at the same time, we have these officers who say, 'We've lost all these people in Afghanistan, we've spent so much blood and treasure on the ground in that country, and then you just turn around and pull out. What was that for?' It's a contradiction at the same time."

Goofs
President Hamid Karzai's name is mispronounced by Ben Kingsley who is playing him. Should be Haamed not Hameed which is a different name even though both names are transcribed in the same way as Hamid from Pashto they are written differently in Arabic.

Quotes
President Karzai: Your predecessor, General Whelan! I liked him! I'm not entirely certain he liked *me*; he didn't visit very often. Why was he dismissed? It seems- uhh, one minute he was here- uh, next minute, not here.
Gen. Glen McMahon: Ah. Well, Mr. President, I think our government simply felt it was time our effort took a new direction.
President Karzai: And uh, what is this new direction?
Gen. Glen McMahon: Ah! It's most important to me that we *build* Afghanistan. Together, we build Afghanistan into a free and prosperous nation, free from fear and conflict.
President Karzai: I see.
Gen. Glen McMahon: Yeah.
President Karzai: I see. Sounds a lot like the *old* direction.

Connections
Featured in ACS France (2018)

Soundtracks
Confused
Written by Jon Spencer (as J. Spencer), Judah Bauer (as J. Bauer), Russell Simins (as R. Simins)
Performed by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
Courtesy of Dirty Shirt Music
Under license from Gaga Music

User reviews220

Review

Featured review

7/10

Why? Why did we have the war?

First off, the criticism is too harsh. From a directorial aspect, this is not a perfect movie. Yet the movie clearly goes over the head of some people. There are numerous laughs big and small scattered through the movie where you laugh at the absurdity of the characters and the unfolding of events. At times it also gets informative and at times drama-serious. When the movie ends you feel like to have gone through a journey with General Glenn McMahon, an inside look into the relationship and mechanism of America's war in Afghanistan.

War Machine delivers its message and will prompt you into thinking. The pacing is slower at times but then catches the speed. Great chemistry between the cast with solid performances. Brad Pitt is excellent, giving a unique and strong performance that radiates as the film goes on.

An absurd story at an absurd time, this is a unique movie worth watching for its theme and characters.