A War

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: February 12, 2016

7.4	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Ratings

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foxgroveFeb 12, 2016

A War is a film of two halves. Both of them good, but it is in the second half when one is drawn into the drama in a more compelling way. Starting in Afghanistan the story revolves around a company of soldiers, led by Claus Pedersen (PilouA War is a film of two halves. Both of them good, but it is in the second half when one is drawn into the drama in a more compelling way. Starting in Afghanistan the story revolves around a company of soldiers, led by Claus Pedersen (Pilou Asbaek), who are stationed in an area prone to attacks by the Taliban. During one such incident Pedersen makes a judgement call which result in the deaths of 11 local civilians. He is subsequently taken back to his home country, Denmark, to face trial for what constitutes a war crime. Although familiar from the many other similarly themed films about the conflict, A War is directed with enough verve and skill to make the story seem fresh and interesting. Likewise the court trial, another oft used setting, is actually very compelling and the actors all bring nuances to bear which provides a palpable tension to proceedings. With a few surprises and generally well written characters the arc of the screenplay ultimately impresses, even when dealing with the usually dull scenes of domesticity. Pilou Asbaek is excellent as the commander under scrutiny for trying to do his job under difficult circumstances. It is to the credit of the writing that the trial forces the viewer to ponder the moral and ethical considerations of Pedersen’s actions. In supporting roles Soren Malling as the defence attorney brings his usual strong presence to a small role and Charlotte Munck is very impressive as the lawyer for the prosecution. A War is a small scale film, very well told, about a big subject.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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GamerJonesFeb 22, 2016

Just brilliant! Once again director Tobias Lindholm manages to ask the audience some crucial ethical questions while keeping them on the edge of their seat, not dulling them to sleep like countless other movies about the Iraq war. Like someJust brilliant! Once again director Tobias Lindholm manages to ask the audience some crucial ethical questions while keeping them on the edge of their seat, not dulling them to sleep like countless other movies about the Iraq war. Like some of his previous movies, the film is split into two parts; the first part showing us the life of the soldier(s) on the front line (the protagonist, Claus), and the second part taking us "back home" and showing how war impacts the families of the relatives (his wife Maria and three kids). The film has an incredible emotional impact and the questions it serves you with, will be lingering with you long after the credits roll.… Expand

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LeZeeFeb 14, 2016

A single aspect account, the other side remains mystery.

The movie that representing Denmark at the 88th American Academy Awards. To be honest, it was not as overwhelming as I anticipated or heard of it, especially after witnessing anA single aspect account, the other side remains mystery.

The movie that representing Denmark at the 88th American Academy Awards. To be honest, it was not as overwhelming as I anticipated or heard of it, especially after witnessing an outstanding sea piracy drama 'A Hijacking' from the same director. But for the todays scenario, any war movie with a fine production quality and a decent storyline is a hot topic. For instance, how a small movie like 'Kajaki' made a big impact among the movie fans.

The main cast and crew combo returned from the previous film. It was a simple story told in three phases. The first two are narrated parallely between a husband fighting a war in Afghanistan and his wife taking care of their children back at home. The third part was the crucial one, the meeting point of the previous two, that mean all the earlier development leads to this final and probably the best setup for the tale to conclude.

It was a realistic portrayal, and obviously coped with a slow pace rendering. But the timeline, especially skipping almost 6 months between the two halves of the movie ruined the rhythm of the steady narration. Actually, that is the story and it has to be done that way without other option. Regarding the story, it is difficult for the viewers come to any conclusion about what they see. Definitely it was not a complicated storytelling, but the entire film was a single perspective narration and you can't know what happened on the other side.

"You can't imagine, what it means to be out there."

You might think I said lots of negative about the movie, but the fact is I liked it and still I felt it should have been a lot better than that. You are not me, so you might like it better than me. The movie topic was very serious, that talks about a war crime and the rest is a courtroom drama. The first half was clueless about what the movie is about, so you can't make any prediction. More like a composition of the unimportant events until the army unit's first encounter with their enemy.

What comes after was really a good stuff, increases our expectation on how it's going to end and again that part was very ordinary. It's okay to be simple because this screenplay was not aimed for commercial or the entertainment gain than being natural to the real world. The moral of the story is the highlight, but people who watched this film forget that and bring up points why they did not like it as I brought a couple in the early.

All scenes were well shot and the actors performed so good. I also heard that the soldiers were real army men who fought in the real battleground where this movie sets in. So the director had the experienced men around to guide to make a flawless war-drama and in the end it all payed off well after entering the final stage of the Oscars race. That's what any filmmaker in the world would have wanted, an international recognition for his hard work.

7/10… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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netflicFeb 22, 2016

It's a movie about a war but not an action movie. Instead, it's a masterfully made psychological drama with fine nuances and undertones.
The previous movie of Danish director Tobias Lindholm named "Highjacking" was outstanding. And theIt's a movie about a war but not an action movie. Instead, it's a masterfully made psychological drama with fine nuances and undertones.
The previous movie of Danish director Tobias Lindholm named "Highjacking" was outstanding. And the latest one, "A War" is even better in my opinion.
Both of them can be characterized as intentionally slow but very dramatic and intense. All aspects (directing, acting, script) are of the highest caliber.
This is the best movie I've seen this year so far. I wish it won the Oscar for the best Foreign film.… Expand

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TyranianApr 14, 2019

Pretty impressive Danish film with good acting and writing and an intriguing plot.

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EpicLadySpongeFeb 20, 2016

What a War pulls out, a War perfectly successes other movies being released at the moment. You have better see this when it comes out on home media so you can have a copy of the greatness this film's hiding in for you.

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horrorliefhebJun 8, 2016

-A War (Danish: Krigen) is a 2015 Danish war drama film written and directed by Tobias Lindholm, and starring Pilou Asbæk and Søren Malling. It tells the story of a Danish military company in Afghanistan that is fighting the Taliban while-A War (Danish: Krigen) is a 2015 Danish war drama film written and directed by Tobias Lindholm, and starring Pilou Asbæk and Søren Malling. It tells the story of a Danish military company in Afghanistan that is fighting the Taliban while trying to protect the civilians, and how the commander is accused of having committed a war crime. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

--Production:

-The film was produced by Nordisk Film with support from DR TV and received eight million Danish kroner from the Danish Film Institute. Filming took place in Copenhagen, in Konya, Turkey and in Almeria, Spain. It ended in January 2015. With the exception of the main characters, the soldiers are played by actual Danish soldiers who had served in Afghanistan.

--Reception:

-A War received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 90% "Certified Fresh" score based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's consensus states: "Tense, intelligent, and refreshingly low-key, A War is part frontline thriller, part courtroom drama -- and eminently effective in both regards." Metacritic reports an 81 out of 100 rating based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Olly Richards from Empire magazine gave the film four out of five stars saying "It’s a riveting, complex film that asks one simple question: what do you do when there’s no right answer?"., while Clayton Dillard from Slant Magazine gave it a mixed review: two out of four stars saying "Tobias Lindholm stages his claims through cluncky dramaturgical scenarios, with the seams exposed at every turn."… Expand

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ReboriveraOct 2, 2017

Casi dos décadas después de los atentados del 11 de septiembre, es difícil creer que haya historias o matices que no se hayan visto reflejados en la gran pantalla. Con A War (Una guerra), Tobias Lindholm lo consigue. El ya célebre guionista yCasi dos décadas después de los atentados del 11 de septiembre, es difícil creer que haya historias o matices que no se hayan visto reflejados en la gran pantalla. Con A War (Una guerra), Tobias Lindholm lo consigue. El ya célebre guionista y director danés se carga de sus diálogos sorkinianos y de sus actores insignia en Borgen para ofrecernos un relato dramático sobre un soldado forzado a decidir bajo presión. Krigen (batalla, pero en su acepción más ambigua), que así se llama el filme en danés, es una reflexión grave sobre la ética, la moral y cómo estas se entrelazan en momentos de tensión.

Todas las cartas de presentación sobran cuando hablamos de una película que fue nominada en 2016 al Oscar a Mejor Película en Lengua Extranjera y que arrasó en los premios de su Academia nacional. A War (Una guerra) llega ahora a los cines españoles como un fiel reflejo del estado del bienestar danés, en el que se mantienen debates morales que en otros países se calificarían de absurdos. La película intenta mantenerse firme en su empeño de mero espejo, y su altura filosófica deja en pañales los acercamientos de Kathryn Bigelow o Stephen Daldry al subgénero de la lucha con las consecuencias de los conflictos.

Pilou Asbæk destaca, sin lugar a dudas, como el próximo gran titán escandinavo de la interpretación. No en vano, esta película disfruta ahora de una segunda vida gracias a su papel como Euron Greyjoy en Juego de tronos. Más allá de esto, merece un comentario especial el papel de Dar Salim. El que interpretara al ministro más ecologista del mundo en Borgen se transforma en la oscura voz de la ética profesional, con una actuación contenida que alcanza cotas de magnificencia durante el último tramo de la cinta, el del juicio.
Las virtudes de A War (Una guerra) pasan más por el contenido que por el continente, como todo lo que ha hecho Lindholm. El director que en 2012 maravilló al mundo con el guion de La caza se centra otra vez en lo que subyace en las mentiras, en su contexto y en sus implicaciones. Visualmente no inventa nada, y una mezcla de sonido más decente hubiera mejorado mucho el clima de tensión en las escenas de combate, pero todo ello se pone al servicio de un guion escrito a la perfección. Obsesionado en todos sus trabajos con la explotación de las diferencias entre lo que ocurrió y cómo se contó, Lindholm logra mantener la atención del espectador durante un metraje más que generoso pero al que no le sobra un solo minuto (si acaso algún “diálogo de besugos”). Por debajo del tono general de la película está la historia del primer tramo, en el que vemos como la mujer del protagonista lo pasa realmente mal teniendo que criar a sus hijos sola. Pero, otra vez, el guion se autocorrige y rompe con este cauce de raíz justo antes de volverse tedioso.

A War (Una guerra) es una película altamente recomendable. Consigue aunar de manera extraordinaria los géneros bélico, familiar y judicial en tres actos casi perfectos. Por otro lado, en ningún caso peca de la pedantería habitual que suele inundar las películas que intentan invitar a la reflexión, sino que logra que el espectador abandone la sala con un debate interno que es puro cine de altura.… Expand

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