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7

DirigiblePulpJul 4, 2017

This is a good movie. All the discussion about it surrounds the technology used in making it, and that's necessary, but it's not the whole story -- nor is it NOT the story as others would have you believe. The simple fact is that this is aThis is a good movie. All the discussion about it surrounds the technology used in making it, and that's necessary, but it's not the whole story -- nor is it NOT the story as others would have you believe. The simple fact is that this is a well-acted and at times completely engrossing anti-war picture, one that is more often than not, yes, let down by some of the failings of trying to show off the tech. Some scenes come across as incredibly "stage-y" for lack of a better word, and the lighting can be overlit fluorescent too often (like a docudrama).

However, that being said, I did have the pleasure of actually being able to see this on 3D bluray and I must say it's absolutely the most stunning 3D I think I've ever seen. There's an incredible amount of depth to so many scenes -- sometimes it's showy, but sometimes it's in service of the story like when Billy comes home and the entrance hallway seems to stretch on forever out in front of him, inviting him in to its embrace but also providing a dark trap. The essential conundrum, the doublethink, at the center of his inner workings.… Expand

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0

ThecollectorOct 26, 2017

Ang Lee disappoints with what was supposed to be his next Oscar bait. And boy did it fail. Hard. Everything about this movie is just off. From the set, to the actors, with just a few exceptions. Joe Alwyn, was the major miscast of the movie.Ang Lee disappoints with what was supposed to be his next Oscar bait. And boy did it fail. Hard. Everything about this movie is just off. From the set, to the actors, with just a few exceptions. Joe Alwyn, was the major miscast of the movie. He does not have the talent and acting chops to be the movie's leading man. If a director like Ang Lee cannot direct you in such a way that you can act, you probably just can't act at all and never will. It was better to not introduce Joe Alwyn at all.… Expand

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3

SpangleFeb 16, 2017

Fashioned as an Awards favorite entering 2016, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk promised innovative technology in the form of 120fps and 4k, while being helmed by Ang Lee. Coming off of Life of Pi, one had to assume that this film would beFashioned as an Awards favorite entering 2016, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk promised innovative technology in the form of 120fps and 4k, while being helmed by Ang Lee. Coming off of Life of Pi, one had to assume that this film would be Lee's triumphant war film to add to his resume. Unfortunately, it is an absolutely abhorrent film. Perhaps watching it on a television sells it a bit short without the technology, but the 120fps feels like it was nothing more than a band-aid, covering up the gaping and infected wound that is the script. The acting is equally horrible, but the film is akin to the Star Wars prequels. It has a script so bad that no actor could reasonably be expected to save the film and make the dialogue sound natural or anything better than unintentional comedy. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is worse than anyone could have ever imagined.

Starring Joe Alwyn as Billy Lynn, a man who fended off the "enemy" as he defended Sgt. Virgil Breen (Vin Diesel) from being attacked further, the video of the incident goes viral. As a result, Lynn and his fellow troops are shuttled around America on a thank you tour, culminating with an appearance at a not-the-Dallas Cowboys game. Appearing in the halftime show with Destiny's Child, the boys are greeted by definitely-not-Jerry Jones (Steve Martin), his stooges, and the many Americans who thank the troops just to feel better about themselves and meet their patriotism quota. Ang Lee's film explores this hollow patriotism, the horrors of war and what it does to young men in the form of PTSD, and is decidedly anti-war, but pro-soldier. Unfortunately, Lee's script misses the mark. With preachy dialogue that explains every little theme he wishes to explore in the film, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is in-your-face and entirely hamfisted. Rather than more nuanced looks at heroism and the need of American society to feel connected to the war through these young men, Lee's script merely preaches at the viewer for nearly two hours. The characters are all incredibly cookie cutter and the scenarios they find themselves in entirely laughable. For example, Wayne Foster (Tim Blake Nelson) - a successful oil industry man involved in fracking - approaches the soldiers to give them thanks and ask how the war is going. Sgt. David Dime (Garret Hedlund) responds by aggressively putting him in his place and preaching Lee's own personal anti-fracking beliefs. In a press conference, Lee has the soldiers being pestered with questions and, before they answer the question, Lynn imagines a fake response in black-and-white that is actually true. Answering a question about the progress of the war, Lynn imagines Dime responding by saying they are doing a great job creating new terrorists. This on-the-nose explanation of what Lee thinks of war is grating and thoroughly unpleasant to experience. For a director capable of great works, it is a shame to see him forget the basic tenant of screenwriting "show and do not tell". By ignoring this advice, you wind up with Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.

This is further preached at us through Norm Oglesby (Martin). The soldiers are working with Albert (Chris Tucker) to get a movie made about them, but they only have the length of the game to get a deal done (I have no idea why). After initially telling them that Hilary Swank wanted to play Billy Lynn in the movie - which is an offensive joke that finds comedy by mocking transsexuality, again shocking from Lee who made Brokeback Mountain - the deals all fall through. Only left is Oglesby who offers the soldiers $5,500 a piece plus a percentage of the profits for the deal. He then explains to Billy that their story is America's not their own. Naturally, the script has Billy put him in his place and explain that it is their lives and they actually live these events. In the bathroom immediately after, Albert comes in and exclaims that it was like something out of a movie. Hysterical, annoyingly self-aware, and a further example of Lee pummeling the audience with his own personal beliefs and what he wants us to all get out of this film.

As with any awful script, the film is not without horrific dialogue. When not preaching at us, the script still feels inauthentic. It never stops feeling written and it borders on comedy at times. The scenarios they find themselves in - fighting security, fighting an obnoxiously anti-gay guy in the crowd - never feel natural. It all feels so staged and pre-planned. This is a film that never feels real. It consistently feels like it is a movie and goes to great lengths to remind us that it is a film, not just with the interaction in the bathroom with Albert either. While watching the game, Billy shows Albert the cheerleader he made out with earlier, Faison (Makenzie Leigh). Remarking that all great movies have a love story, Lee sets us up for more awful dialogue in the form of this half-baked romance.… Expand

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7

bfoore90Apr 27, 2017

Obviously not a movie for everyone but a brilliant piece of satire nonetheless. It takes a look at our young hero, Billy Lynn, a fresh faced, wide eyed Texan who after performing a heroic action caught on camera is involved in a promotionalObviously not a movie for everyone but a brilliant piece of satire nonetheless. It takes a look at our young hero, Billy Lynn, a fresh faced, wide eyed Texan who after performing a heroic action caught on camera is involved in a promotional propaganda tour. It takes a look at the jingoism and greed that our country shows when it comes to our brave service men and women. It has its flaws, the way its shot makes it kind of awkward and a few weird scenes but overall, its a solid look at war and a solid film for all involved.… Expand

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2

DotTheEyesNov 19, 2016

A rare failure by beloved Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is also one of the year's strangest films in regard to craft and release. The story and theme are simple, though: the title character (Joe Alwyn)A rare failure by beloved Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is also one of the year's strangest films in regard to craft and release. The story and theme are simple, though: the title character (Joe Alwyn) is a suburban Texan who enlists in the U.S. Army as a teenager and serves in Iraq. After an image of him tending to a severely wounded superior (Vin Diesel) becomes popular online, he is sent on a promotional tour to wave the flag and pacify an anxious public. The tour culminates in he and his surviving squad members' ornamental participation in a Destiny's Child halftime show at a Dallas football game. The majority of the action unfolds within the stadium. Similar to Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, a chief aim here is to compare and contrast a soldier's hard-fought understanding of bravery and sacrifice with the easily digestible embellishments and myths presented to the public. Alas, Lee's satire is devoid of venom, and any potential dramatic resonance is undercut by overwrought, at times absurdly platitudinous dialogue; a claustrophobic framing device; and a host of out-of-sync actors, none of whom truly inhabit their characters. As Lynn, British newcomer Alwyn does not exhibit much of interest beyond photogenic blue eyes, registering as vacant rather than tortured, and poor Steve Martin delivers perhaps a career-worst performance as the stadium's unctuous neoconservative owner. These notable shortcomings in regard to acting, pacing, and tone are compounded tenfold by Lee's dramatic decision to film every scene in purportedly hyper-detailed, game-changing 120-frames-per-second 3-D. (Footage so vivid, the viewer can count the pores on Martin's face.) It is hard for a director to change the game, though, when his skeptical distributor outfits only four or five cinemas to project the film as he intended. I saw the final product in standard 2-D, as will ninety-nine-point-nine percent of others. Left-field creative choices presumably intended to enhance the sense of three-dimensional immersion, most notably nauseating closeups of actors delivering their dialogue directly to the camera, no longer have context and are distracting at best, ugly at worst. This minor and spasmodic melodrama, reminiscent of the uneven first wave of war-on-terror parables and treatises (Home of the Brave, In the Valley of Elah, Rendition), certainly does not benefit from this half-realized and inappropriate technical flamboyance.… Expand

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10

yujiaNov 20, 2016

A beautifully-shot masterpiece! It talks about issues that are deeper than war and troops. I didn't think it was possible, but I actually like this movie better than Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. How can anyone hate this? The movie goesA beautifully-shot masterpiece! It talks about issues that are deeper than war and troops. I didn't think it was possible, but I actually like this movie better than Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. How can anyone hate this? The movie goes extremely deep. I really hope Ang Lee will win academy again as best director, even best picture!… Expand

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6

TVJerryNov 19, 2016

Billy is a young soldier on a US victory tour with his squad after a heroic skirmish in Iraq. The narrative alternates between their recognition at a big football game and flashbacks to his family and his experiences in the military. The bestBilly is a young soldier on a US victory tour with his squad after a heroic skirmish in Iraq. The narrative alternates between their recognition at a big football game and flashbacks to his family and his experiences in the military. The best thing about this film is the deeply nuanced and quietly sensitive portrayal of the title character by British actor Joe Alwyn. He manages to rise above the inert drama and endless preaching to bring emotion to his character (although he cries one time too many). The film's message about the sacrifices of our soldiers and the politics of war keeps pounding back…ultimately, becoming tiresome. While the performances are effective and some of the scenes have impact, director Ang Lee substitutes copious tears and ardent closeups for real drama. (That skirmish with the stagehands was a contrived excuse to trigger a climax.)… Expand

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6

NedRyerson1Feb 2, 2017

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is another movie exploring the struggle with PTSD back at home from war. I wish to say that Ang Lee faced it with a whole new approach or something like that, but he doesn’t. At least the story is told in aBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is another movie exploring the struggle with PTSD back at home from war. I wish to say that Ang Lee faced it with a whole new approach or something like that, but he doesn’t. At least the story is told in a nonlinear way, center in the life at home with flashback to the war. Basically the struggle is the same as American Sniper, but with a young protagonist, without a clue of what he is doing with his life and a family mess. So you don’t get to see big consequences in his actual life choices, but instead just glimpses of trauma. There are two interesting things in this film, the technical way in which the war catches up to the protagonist and the truth about the show business that takes advantage of these poor traumatized soldiers. The movie is stimulating, definitely, but it’s more of the same topic. Ang Lee stays certainly in debt.… Expand

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7

LeZeeJun 15, 2017

Game, music, celebration, romance, emotion, family, friends and the war!

After giving the career best, the director Ang Lee returned with this which is quite a long gap for him between the films. He has fallen back to the average, like usualGame, music, celebration, romance, emotion, family, friends and the war!

After giving the career best, the director Ang Lee returned with this which is quite a long gap for him between the films. He has fallen back to the average, like usual whenever he gives a masterpiece. Most directors do that. This film was adapted from the book of the same name. It was not a full fledged war film. It has soldiers, but one day event theme where they are on the short break to homeland to participate in the felicitation programme for their victory.

The story closely focused on the young soldier, Billy, Lynn. He was the centre of the event, a war hero. During his stay, he recalls the original event. What really happened and what else he could have done. Apart from that, enjoying the day with a game from the stadium, dance, musics and many more. Meeting family has a sub-plot that reveals about his choice to join the army. Overall, a memorable day with happy and sad incidents.

So my first thought in the initial stage was like it is another film similar to the 2009's 'The Messenger'. No, it was not. It was completely different than anything I've seen so far. Refreshing, but not captivating. If you are okay with simple, yet want a feel strong, this is it. It is kind of like mixed result film. Great casting and strong performances. Wonderful debute for the lead actor.

On the other side, mix of colourful, full of music, emotional, romantic, thrilling presentation. A bit Americanised, like the film events and the patriotism. So, a much better suitable film for the domestic audience than the rest of the world, perhaps excluding western world. Even though, watching it once is no harm or not bad.

7/10… Expand

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5

Voodoo123May 8, 2018

Bl's long halftime walk is an at times thoughtful yet ultimately pretentious story following a hero soldiers brief stint as an american medias publicity story for the iraq war effort. We watch as he struggles with ptsd alongside his remainingBl's long halftime walk is an at times thoughtful yet ultimately pretentious story following a hero soldiers brief stint as an american medias publicity story for the iraq war effort. We watch as he struggles with ptsd alongside his remaining squad while jumping through the various hoops on the media rally at a football game. Unfortunately even with its gorgeous high frame rate 4k presentation, with an overly saturated hollywood cast to distract, watching this delivers the effective emotional depth of a shallow puddle where it needed a deep pool.… Expand

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5

bamaboomerFeb 18, 2017

This is a disappointing effort from Ang Lee. a tired re-tread of so many previous movies on the theme of "The American Hero". I cannot see this as more than a technological display melding 60 fps video with 24 fps film. The tech does impress,This is a disappointing effort from Ang Lee. a tired re-tread of so many previous movies on the theme of "The American Hero". I cannot see this as more than a technological display melding 60 fps video with 24 fps film. The tech does impress, yet the story left me cold.… Expand

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