I once asked a guy who did multiple tours of duty in Iraq, "What's a movie that most authentically tells the story of a soldier in a modern war?" He recommended me this and I can see why. If you know anybody who went into the military you know this is most likely their experience.

Good Movie

One of the most under-appreciated films of the decade. Absolutely gorgeous technical design and the themes of what a modern soldier goes through are harsh and uncompromising. Gyllenhaal and especially Sarsgaard are both fantastic and the ending is just downright beautiful.

Kind of disappointing. Lots of profanity and not much action. It's a war movie, where's the war?

A mess. Amid the good performances, this is a poorly put together muddle of directorial styles and influences, as Mendes' focus & artistic intention fluctuates aimlessly throughout this movie. I admire what Mendes was trying here, & thats why it got marks from me, but this could have been great, but Mendes fails to create any atmosphere, or empathy with the characters, meaning the attempt to create a viewpoint on the psychological effects of modern warfare fails.