As Good As It Gets

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It is hard to put into words the impact that this movie can have on someone who may not be familiar with the droning torture of waking up in a trench waiting for death to come calling. This movie lovingly and carefully crafts that hellish and heroic existence. No stereotypes. No cheesiness. I felt that this must be what millions of average, "run of the mill" (and yet...how much above the term average!) souls endured so that we could retain freedom. Heartbreaking and humbling. Yes, war is hell. Yes, we don't want to enter into war lightly. But when fighting is required, due to a threat of our free existence, may we all be willing to do more than should be asked of any human being. The writing, acting, direction- perfection. The sense of all that was handed to succeeding generations came through in a powerful way.

To me, "Journey's End" is a far better film than the rating may lead one to believe. It's an intense war film with extremely realistic sets and clothing. The film puts you right into the trenches of WWI in way that I've never experienced before in a film. Adapted from a play, "Journey's End" takes place primarily right in the trenches and underground officer's quarters, with the characteristic lack of set changes that come with plays and films adapted from them. While the movies are nothing alike in any way, I was reminded of the classic film "Glengarry Glen Ross," as it was also adapted from a play. When a film is adapted from a play and done right, it gains a certain intensity that is sometimes lacking in standard films. This played perfectly into the WWI trench atmosphere - a constricted, confined, intense space. These sort of movies become character focused and the actors can really shine. Therein lies my only real critique of "Journey's End," in that I found some of the acting to be a bit uneven. I have nothing against Sam Clafin (Captain Stanhope), but he failed to carry this film, even though the story is ostensibly about him. The drinking in particular bothered me - the character drank whiskey like it was water but came across as too sober and clear-eyed for it to be believable. But overall, "Journey's End" is a compelling look at a war that perhaps doesn't get the attention it deserves. Maybe it was so horrible, we'd just rather forget all about it, but therein lies the danger.

On first accounts you are immediately grabbed between a british war film and the lack of consciousness of American films. The film holds no relevance if it was original theatre form as a trench wouch perfectly suit the "walls closing in" feeling of a filthy rat infested trench.The rats are over looked, here are men preparing for battle and they cannot kill a rat. At there greatest moment of dehumanising the characters are turned inside out, like a mirror they see their inner consciousnesses. Interesting Bettany was going to play Claflin, but the director found Bettany's display of strength for all the men altering the story. Only at the end when Bettany cuts himself shaving and begins parting with his most important items during a routine raid does one see him begin to ravel. His is the archetype of love in the film, as not as just joung Ask Butterfield quickly bonds with him Claflin the unit commander stating death in the eyes breaks down after Bettany dies and lets his teats pour down Ask, his nephew who he has barely said a word too, Bettany has transcended the fact he will died in that muddy disgusting trench, who the Unit Commander, holding onto hos last threads of sanity, still believes in his drunken delusional state he willl survive. Seems mentally unconsciously safe in the bunker, his only 2 moments of "love" remove him from the setting of the war but won't pivotal plot moments. The mood, the atmosphere, the foreboding the dark walls reflecting of a grim reaper all sum up what the Nolan brother's could have served up in Dunkirk, instead of a rubbish American we all hours of our lives on. The gorgeous Ask Butterfield, Trotter, Mason, and weakling soldiers are allowed character development, evn the stern General you see three brief times, one is allowed he is "I couldn't really give a damn. Two majors errors that ruin movie, calling it"Journey's End" meant as well knew before it started the outcome, even if your knowledge of the Spring German Offensive, and in no army in the world is a soldier allowed to ask the division he wishes to join, especially as such a young age, the alter ego of a brush care-a-less General who know the Germans where attaching in 3 days times would not send his grandson his grave. Paul Bettany such an established actor now is a waking academy award. It is time he receives that award.

There are a lot of movies that tackled this theme maybe million times before. And the characters are by no means fresh or new. But it's the very limited time we get through that allowed the characters to flesh out. I cared about every single character in this movie. Of course, the acting has a major role in making the characters very easy to sympathize with. All the actor did a great job and all of them have their powerful moments. Asa Butterfield proved that he is a very good actor and that it's only his role choices that make him very underrated. But it's Sam Claflin who really shines in the role of Captain Stanhope. I liked his performance in My Cousin Rachel, but I think he gave his best performance ever in Journey's End. Using wobbly hand-held cameras was a great decision Saul Dibb made, it makes me feel that the movie shot in a second-person perspective and that makes me relate to the characters even more as I have always felt that I was standing with them in the battle area or as they were just talking. The production design is top notch.Besides the familiarity of the story and the stereotypical characters, which aren't big deal, I think the ending is a bit rushed, it is so effective and moving though.(8/10)