War Machine (2017)
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A high-ranking American general faces a political and military quagmire while attempting to navigate the complexities of the war in Afghanistan.
The story
In the summer of 2009, four-star General Glen McMahon is sent to Afghanistan to prepare a strategic assessment to end the ongoing war. He is granted wide latitude to write the report, provided he does not request more troops. McMahon and his staff believe the war can be won and advocate for a significant troop surge. However, political hurdles and a lack of cooperation from the government lead to complications. When the situation becomes dire, McMahon takes drastic measures to ensure his plan is heard, leading to a public and political fallout that threatens his career and the stability of the military operation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2009, General Glen McMahon is tasked with creating a strategy to end the war in Afghanistan. Despite being told not to ask for more troops, McMahon and his team advocate for a 40,000-troop surge. When the government refuses to act on his report due to political timing, McMahon leaks the document to the press. This triggers a response from President Obama, who sends 30,000 troops but compromises the military's strategic position. McMahon then travels to Europe to negotiate with allies, where he faces scrutiny from a journalist, Sean Cullen. Following a botched operation that results in civilian casualties and a scathing media report, McMahon is forced to resign as a civilian consultant. The film concludes with a new general being appointed to take his place.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Michôd
- Writers
- David Michôd · writer
- Cast and characters
- Brad Pitt · General Glen McMahon; Anthony Michael Hall · Major General Greg Pulver; Anthony Hayes · Lieutenant Commander Pete Duckman; Topher Grace · Matt Little; Will Poulter · Sergeant Ricky Ortega; Tilda Swinton · a German politician; Ben Kingsley · President Hamid Karzai
- Genres
- satirical war comedy; comedy; political
- Themes
- war; political maneuvering; media influence
- Tone and mood
- satirical; comedy
- Setting
- Afghanistan and various international locations in 2009.
- Premise and plot tags
- military; political drama; based on true events
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews, with critics praising the acting and wit while criticizing the execution of the comedy elements.
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled War Machine after being acquired by Netflix.; The film features a cameo by Russell Crowe.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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