A different way of telling a story

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Initially, the script is quite humorous, and though you're able to tell that there is some noticeable level of comedy in this film, you sense that, especially it being a bio, amidst all the laughs, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is going to drop a bomb so massive on its viewers, it could bore a hole as big as Dean's Blue, right in your chest.Sadly, as the movie progresses, the humor also diminishes, and even worse, the expectation and anticipation of something stirring and extraordinary happening, turns out to be a... dud. Not quite the "boring", I was hoping for.Why is this even a biography? Why is it a biography worth telling? Why, did we need to see America's resources used to save some Scottish dude, in a very none thrilling, exciting or memorable fashion? Why? Is there something I missed? Why, did we need to see a story, of some woman, who didn't want to be at a desk anymore, unnecessarily risk her life, and the lives of her peers? Why did we need to see her predictably failing relationship with the boyfriend who's constantly travelling, in fact fail? And Tanya and Ali's arcs, felt as if they were just, abandoned. OK fine, maybe not so much with Ali, but man, this film is just a WTF let down.I don't know, this movie feels pretty meaningless, unless the message is; "Why-so-serious-son". Lets depict war and "terror" in a, not so significant light perhaps?I give this film 5/10. When it starts, its funny and sets you up... Just to feel, set up, at the end of it all.

Tina Fey is Tina Fey in this movie. I loved the fact that she didn't pretend to be anything else. Westerners behaved like westerners in this movie.Many war films try to sell you the emotional experience of a war. This is an American woman's story in Afganistan. Her world is other people like her and one slim contact with the world that she was in. Yes the movie is self-centered. Let's not bullshit ourselves into thinking we can be a whole lot more than that.

2003. Kim Baker is a writer at a TV news network in New York. The network needs a reporter in Afghanistan and, as her career has stalled and her life is in a rut, she (apprehensively) takes the job. Nothing could have prepared her for life in Kabul and what she'll see and experience - she is truly a duck out of water. Over time, however, she adapts and even thrives. More than thrives, she seems to live for the danger and excitement, a fact that not only endangers her own life but that of her colleagues too.I didn't have great expectations before watching this. While Tina Fey's TV work is superb (30 Rock, SNL) her movies often miss the mark, ending up lightly entertaining, at best. So, was expecting a light comedy and nothing much in the way of drama.Turns out the movie is very funny, and, even better, often darkly so. The humour is often presented in dramatic or very plausible situations, so doesn't feel forced, feeling more like a candid view of people in a war zone. That's the beauty of the movie - it's as much a drama as a comedy, and the comedy stems from the drama, rather than existing in a vacuum.On the drama side, the situation in Afghanistan is very realistically portrayed, without shirking from the events and issues involved. While the press attempt to make the most of their situation and live it up, attempting to shut themselves off from their surrounds, the threat of violence and death is never far away. There is a fatalism hanging over the movie which makes it even the more engaging and compelling.Not perfect though. I felt that, while a good and often funny story, it didn't really make a profound point in the end. The conclusion seemed quite flat, especially after what came before.Overall: a great blend of comedy and drama.

I'll admit to not being the biggest fan of Tina Fey. I find she often plays it too safe in her comedy and has never managed to step out there and take on that role that could be a game changer. So I was interested to see what she would produce in 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot'. The movie was certainly a lot more serious than a lot of the promotions would have you believe, and so we got to see Fey doing some real acting. I wouldn't say she was brilliant in the lead role, but luckily the script and supporting cast were enough to carry her.There are certainly a lot of familiar faces in the cast. Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and even an Australian actor who I know from a show called 'Home & Away' called Stephen Peacocke plays a minor role. So for a film set a long way away in Afghanistan, I certainly never felt lonely about the accompany of actors and actresses.The film is more a series of events than an overall arcing plot. There is a story in the background, but it works more as a collection of tales (this is based on a true story). I found a lot of the events portrayed very interesting to watch. It's safe to say the film is at its best when it is trying to entertain you, rather than when it is trying to impress you (if that makes sense). Basically I mean when the film tries to have a heart and show off Fey's acting skills it can fall apart a little. The rest though makes for great viewing and I'd happily recommend this to most people.