When a work is titled
Lone Survivor (2013), its audience knows pretty much what to expect. Fortunately, there is enough suspense and action to keep the viewer engrossed until the expected outcome. Mark Wahlberg stars as the leader of a Navy team of four sent to kill an Afghan Taliban leader. The mission is compromised when goat herders happen upon the stakeout lair. The film’s best dramatic segment occurs when the men debate what to do with the three, an old man, a child and a teenager. They decide to let the trio go, although it is fairly obvious the hard-nosed teen will report the presence of the soldiers. Soon intense combat begins. The theme is bravery. The flick is a tribute. There is no other message. There is no debate on whether the war is right or wrong. Of course, the Taliban are the villains, as they are in real life, hated by a significant percentage of the native population. The film is based on the book of the same name by Marcus Lutrell, whom Wahlberg portrays. Although rooted in actual events, I’m certain liberties were taken to make it more commercially viable. It succeeded in that respect, taking in 125 million in the U.S. alone on a budget of 40 million. More than 125,000 users have rated it at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 7.7 on a scale of ten. Debate is heated in the commentary section, the detractors labeled as unpatriotic or foreigners, although the film is seen, properly, as not much more than an action flick. It was directed by Peter Berg, who adapted the screenplay. He has proven to be a triple threat, having amassed 43 credits as an actor, seven as a writer, and 18 as a director. His most notable work prior to this was
Friday Night Lights (2004).
Lone Survivor was nominated for two Oscars in the sound category. By no means a great film, I enjoyed it more than any of the five nominees for Best Picture that I’ve seen. I did not pause it once its entire two-hour running time. On a scale of five, 3.75. Before the closing credits, photographs of the actual participants are displayed. I got misty.
I made my usual Monday excursion to Park Slope and regret I didn't go elsewhere, even though I scored a great parking spot that enabled me to display all my wares. My thanks to Francis, who purchased
Sex Secrets of Escorts: Tips from a Pro by Veronica Monet. I know the floating book shop is a hit or miss endeavor, but I'm starting to question Park Slope's reputation as the most literate neighborhood in Brooklyn. Sometimes, being ignored by hundreds is not easy to take.
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Web Site:
http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
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