Amazon Studios, Big Indie Pictures, Picrow,
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli
Matthews (John Cena) is a crack sniper, and Issac (Aaron taylor-Johnson) is his spotter. They have been called out by the pipeline contractors for assistance when an Iraqi sniper is picking them off. The boys can’t tell if they were attacked by a sniper or someone else, but they patiently and cautiously watch for any movement that there could be a sniper. Finally Matthews gets tired of waiting and heads out to examine the body when he finds out that it was a sniper and he’s still hiding out there. Isaac tries to help but gets pinned behind a crumbling wall with the sniper somewhere out there on the other side of wall. Matthews has been severely hurt, but Isaac tries to contact the base on the radio to ask for help, but he finds out the voice on the radio is not the headquarters, but actually the other sniper who is playing him. Now he’s pinned behind a way without any water, and the two are playing mind games with each other in a long drawn out cat and mouse game.
This a very dramatic film, but many will completely hate it. As for myself, I really loved it. There is a lot going on here but it’s all mind games. The sniper is very devious, and has figured out a way to lure people into his trap, just like Isaac and Matthews were caught. There are only two characters, plus the voice on the radio, and the location for the entire film is one little spot behind the wall in the desert. But there are so many levels of thinking and planning going on here, and it was a puzzle just waiting to put together. This really felt realistic, and it was a very suspenseful. I really enjoyed the story, and was very glad I watched it. Don’t expect “The Battle of the Bulge” here, it’s not an action movie. It’s very thought provoking though, and will give you a lot to think about.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
