Rules of Engagement

William Friedkin hasn’t forgotten how to make films, and this piece can be considered fairly good. The screenplay is quite solid and there isn't as much pathos and pro-Americanism as I expected, which is obviously good. The dialogues are very strong, especially when it comes to the courtroom, and the plot is fast-paced, dynamic, and tense. The action scenes are sometimes quite unrealistic and the war atmosphere is unconvincing (especially the opening action in Vietnam), but the main point of the film – the massacre in Yemen – is surprisingly skillfully shot, and I was particularly impressed by certain camera tricks, such as the view through the gun's sights. (18/08/2005)

Many actors have a typical style for expressing sudden changes in emotional state. Harrison Ford shakes his chin, DiCaprio's eyes glaze over like an allergy sufferer under a blooming birch, Gere squints his eyes even more and twitches his facial muscles, McConaughey lets a vein pop out under his right eye. And then there’s Samuel L. Jackson, who rolls his eyes in rage to the size of golf balls, making you think that 83 dead Yemeni protesters aren't that many considering his appearance. There are two acting stalwarts who have no problem breaking each other's faces as the defendant and the defense attorney the day before the trial, or Pearce’s strict prosecutor, who would lock up even Sergeant Desmond Doss from Hacksaw Ridge for using too much bandaging material. However, I can imagine more creativity in a courtroom drama than just lighting its participants through window blinds. The naturalism I appreciate in William Friedkin's work is definitely present here. (03/03/2021)