Buffalo Soldiers (2003)

recommended

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The buffalo soldiers of history were primarily African -Americans who distinguished themselves and the American military. It is particularly inappropriate as the African-Americans in this movie, except for a walk-on or two, are presented as similar to those in The Birth of a Nation.Phoenix does both drama and comedy. Those actors who did this best, Cary Grant and George Clooney, for example, can flash a grin and have an attitude that says "have fun with me" to the audience. Phoenix, instead, shows an inane grin and floats clumsily through the movie, as if on some drug. There is an element of joy in his demeanor as he amazes himself (and us) by remembering a line.Surprisingly, this is a comedy genre: the service comedy: a picaresque hero stealing and conning his way to a comfortable berth. The hero is harried by a tough but dumb sergeant. Same here but things get particularly bloody with some sex thrown in by an unfaithful wife and ungrateful daughter There isn't a likable character in the whole film, while the plot has been done so often that there is no tension at all in it.It isn't funny at all.

When I first saw this movie, I think it was after it came to DVD in late 2003 or early 2004. I really liked it and though I couldn't follow what it was about at the time, I decided to see it again today.I still remember every scene, and what really drew me in was the atmosphere of the film, a black comedy, but also a movie about a lone wolf who's an anti-hero, the best anti-hero I've ever seen. This movie puts soldiers in Western Germany in 1989 just after the Cold War ended and the Berlin Wall was about to fall. What's amazing is that boredom gets the best of these soldiers, especially for our main character.This film explores the life of a stationed drug dealer soldier and of course, not without some great humour. I will admit, I do hate indie films and indie directors, but this is the best indie film I have ever seen, it almost feels like a mainstream Hollywood movie, but in a good way. I absolutely love the time period and the location, it makes me feel like I'm at home in Romania.It's really thanks to Jacquin and his amazing, under-rated acting that make me appreciate the anti-hero character he portrays. I like the setup of the story because to those bored soldiers, their duty is like serving time in prison, so they have to find good recreational activities to do so they can kill off their boredom, and what better way to do that than make drugs, steal weapons and sell them for a nice wad of cash.This is one of those rare feel-good films that make you care about the character a lot, his struggles, and his fears. No matter how wrong you think what he's doing is, you still end up rooting for him in the end. Anti-Hero characters are always neutral, so they fight for their own cause. That may seem selfish, but in a world full of bad guys and good guys, the anti-hero must choose his own destiny and he'll let the good fight the evil as much as they want as long as neither get in his way.Truly under-rated film of the decade, if you're from Europe, or are in the military, and you have some friends over at your house, then order some pizzas, some nachos, and enjoy this film. I sure did, and I sure need to read the book as well, which is much more darker than the movie, apparently. I don't know why this is not in the top 250, but it deserves a spot in the top 20's.

The author has taken Robert Stone's haunting "Dog Soldiers" and moved it to peacetime, Europe, and the tiresomely predictable FTA perspective of a minor English prof. It is 3.2 beer at best. Stick to "Mash" or "Catch 22" for this kind of thing."Buffalo Soldiers" is a term of honor coined by the Plains Indians to describe brave black soldiers they met in battle of the US Cavalry on the 10th Cav and other black units because of their nappy hair. Apparently the author hasn't a clue about what the term means.The cast does its best, but the stereotypes kill the film early on. It is tedious, never generates any real tension, and is as predictable as a Roadrunner cartoon. The only difference is they are a lot more fun to watch.

American directors tend to glorify their war movies by adding a lot of heroism and false American nationalism. Buffalo Soldiers is a nice change on these kind of movies. It tells the story of a group of American soldiers so thoroughly bored that they kill time by smuggling drugs, drinking booze and fighting each other. It kinda reminds me of my father's stories of his short yet turbulent time in the army. He keeps on telling about all the wrong things they did to have a bit of fun in their forced presence in these days. The movie doesn't really have a grand message to deliver to its audience, but it is most definitely good for a few laughs. And Joaquin Phoenix shows a bit of the strong charisma he has in store for us in later movies ( Walk the line- the Johnny Cash biography- as his strongest one )