For Queen and Country

Starring: Denzel Washington, Dorian Healy, Sean Chapman, Graham McTavish
Directed by: Martin Stellman
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Action
1989

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A British soldier (Denzel Washington) returns home from combat, only to find adjusting to civilian life is more difficult than he imagined.

Review:

Tim: The single biggest strength of For Queen and Country is a very strong, early performance by Denzel Washington. He showcased some serious talent in this film, and he did it while speaking a pretty bad English accent. Washington is such a terrific actor, and even at this early stage of his career, his on screen presence and charisma is unmistakable. Unfortunately, besides the central performance, this movie doesn't have much going for it.

As mentioned, I enjoyed Washington in this film. It's certainly no where near his best work, but it's an early performance that hints at his future greatness. He is able to convey so much with his facial expressions, and even in a film where he mostly remains stoic, he's able to connect to the audience. Washington is easily the most interesting thing about this film. He gives his character some real depth and emotional honesty. His accent was a bit hard to shallow, but I still thought he worked very well in the film.

I suppose this movie could also be called a pretty gritty look at the transition to civilian life for soliders. It's interesting to see that struggle in a non-American setting. Washington's character not only has to make the transition to civilian life, but must deal with racism, poverty, and crime. It's a pretty interesting look at what must have been a very hard time in which to live.

Besides these strengths, the film doesn't have a whole lot going for it. The story is interesting, but misses the mark a bit on the emotional level. The movie feels uneven, dragging in far too many places. None of the events seem particularly important, even when we know life and death hangs in the balance. I hate to harp on first-time directors, but Martin Stellman's directorial debut feels exactly that- like an inexperienced director doing the best he could. That hurts the overall viewing experience. It's not surprising to me that he hasn't directed a single film since this one.

The movie probably had a fairly good script, but something becomes lost in the transition to the screen. This should have been a powerful, hard-hitting look at a difficult life and a difficult time period. I had a hard time staying engaged, though. I also felt confusion at a few scenes where I was wondering what exactly was happening, and why I should care. Those are the marks of a first-time director.

While For Queen and Country does do some things right, and is at least partially saved by a strong Denzel Washington performance, most viewers won't be missing much by passing this by. I would say the biggest reason for anyone to watch this is because they are fans of Washington and would like to see an earlier performance. If you're looking for just about anything other than that, you will probably be disappointed.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6


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