Tigerland
Starring: Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Clifton Collins Jr., Tom Guiry, Shea Whigham, Russell Richardson, Nick Searcy, Michael Shannon, Cole Hauser
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, War
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of army recruits go through basic training and prepare to be shipped out to Vietnam. One rebellious recruit (Colin Farrell) threatens the reputation of their unit, however.

Review:
Tim: I certainly did not expect to like Tigerland as much as I did. When the film started, the grainy footage just looked cheaply done. Plus, this was a film directed by Joel Schumacher, a guy I admit I've lost some faith in (Batman & Robin will do that to you). Luckily, this film defies all expectations. It is a brutal, realistic look at army life in the early 1970s. It's a powerful, unexpected movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

The film takes place almost entirely in various army training facilities. We never actually see our heroes fight a real battle, and yet, the suspense is constantly there. This was a very engaging movie. It reminded me of Full Metal Jacket in a lot of ways. We see the challenging conditions the men face, feeling overwhelmed, berated, criticized, and attacked. Schumacher does a fantastic job of transporting us to this place. I really felt invested in the story.

Probably the most pleasant surprise of Tigerland is the performance of Colin Farrell. Farrell definitely shows signs here of what was to come in his career. The guy just delivers an incredible performance. He is so entertaining as a character- a guy who projects this rebellious, devil may care attitude, but underneath, has more of a heart than he'd ever care to admit. I loved Roland Bozz. He's just so cool. He willingly acts out and deals with the ramifications of that. Everything he does is designed to prove that the army won't make him like everyone else. His character is fascinating, and is one of the biggest reasons I liked this movie. Farrell does an outstanding job of making this movie his.

The supporting cast is good, too. Matthew Davis gives a strong performance. I really enjoyed watching the friendship between he and Farrell's characters. Clifton Collins Jr. gives a good performance as well. He is really an underrated actor, and it was fun seeing him with a strong part here. It was also fun seeing Michael Shannon and Cole Hauser in smaller, but important, supporting roles. The entire cast really worked well together. So often in war movies, I have difficulty keeping track of who is who, and why I should care about them at all. That was not the case with Tigerland. Each character was unique and interesting, and I became caught up in their story.

Another reason I enjoyed this film is the direction of Joel Schumacher (never thought I'd say that again!). He really paces the film quite well. There were only a few, fleeting moments when the story dragged a bit. For the most part, it moved quickly and kept my attention. The movie is a brisk 101 minutes, but the length was right for the story. I really appreciated that. The cinematography is often quite good, even if the quality of the footage never wowed me.

I really, really enjoyed Tigerland. The character of Roland Bozz is incredibly memorable and entertaining. Outside of him, though, the rest of the film was good, but not great. The story does blend in a little too much with other war movies. Still, this is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, and one that a lot of viewers have likely not seen (due to the minuscule box office). However, don't be afraid because Schumacher is behind the camera- this is a very, very good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: American Outlaws, Full Metal Jacket, Hart's War