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Unforgettable
by Eric Lanyard
Three Kings is the best movie I have seen so far this year. And yes, I have seen American Beauty, which
deserves (almost) all of the accolades it has
received. Both movies have a distinct voice and offer a unique view on the American experience. But while
American Beauty is a calculated and near technically perfect look at the underbelly of our suburban lives,
Three Kings risks-- and gains-- more with its messier, kinetic take on the American role in the Gulf War and
its aftermath.
Four soldiers--Gates (George Clooney), Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), Chief (Ice Cube), and Vig (Spike Jonze)--
discover a treasure map to Kuwaiti gold in a very unlikely place (hint: think human cavity) and set off
to claim it for themselves. They reason that since Sadaam stole the gold from the Kuwaitis, they are
completely justified in stealing it for themselves. And since they have seen virtually no action during
the course of the war, except for Barlow's execution of a soldier in the film's brilliant and biting
opening sequence, they decide to set off on one last adventure before heading home.
Needless to say, that adventure is not the smooth sailing that the soldiers had hoped for, and they find
themselves entangled in the oppressed lives of Sadaam's people, who had followed the Americans' lead
and revolted against their malevolent dictator, only to find themselves left out in the cold now that
President Bush has ordered his troops withdrawn. Besides the sheer pleasure it is to watch a movie that
actually take a political stand (none of that feel-good generic patriotism of Forrest Gump here,
thank you very much), Three Kings unfolds as one of the most heartfelt action films you've ever seen.
Unlike, say, Bruce Willis just running around shooting things in the umpteenth version of Die Hard,
Russell's characters are so human, motivated in complex ways both by greed and the desire to do good,
that the audience can't help but sympathize and become very involved in their plight. The cast is
resoundingly excellent, especially Mark Wahlberg, proving that his Boogie Nights performance was no
fluke, and Spike Jonze, the video director making his feature acting debut, who brings a heartbreaking
tenderness to his role.
Now hear this, Academy: Russell deserves writing and directing nominations for his ambitious work here. His
movie is a thrilling entertainment-- I guarantee no one in the movie theater will get up to go to the
bathroom during the stunning climax at the Iranian border-- and an intelligent meditation on America's
role as both a cultural leader and global policeman. Three Kings is the kind of movie that I hope to see
every time I take my seat in a darkening theater--something fresh, something smart, and something I
won't soon forget.
Eric Lanyard, 1999
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