Green Zone - Review

The Bourne team of Matt Damon-Paul Greengrass is back, this time in war plagued Iraq. With slick promos & an interesting plot, does this political thriller manage to keep you engaged?
Yes it definitely does.

Based on a book by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Green Zone takes us to the US invasion of Iraq where American troupes are deployed to find the WMD(Weapons of Mass Destruction). Working on intel from the CIA & an insider in Baghdad, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller(Matt Damon) comes up empty handed wherever he searches. During a crackdown, he narrowly misses General Al Rawi, Saddam's close aide & uncovers some hidden secrets of this operation, that involve the top officials at the CIA, their man in Iraq Poundstone(Greg Kinnear) & President Bush.
What follows, is a wild chase by Miller to unearth the truth behind the political strategy and an eye-opener to what the true intentions of the US government are.

Akin to the Bourne series, the visuals through the film are shaky & mainly handheld. The cinematography by Barry Ackroyd is meant to provide the "in the midst of the action" feel, which sometimes goes too far, making it a jarring experience for a few sequences.
The background score is superb & absorbs you into the story, right through the chases & action scenes.

Matt Damon does a brilliant job as the frustrated Officer Miller who wants to do the right thing & solve the puzzle. Another superb performance is by Greg Kinnear as the wily CIA man in the war-field.
Director Paul Greengrass does not outdo the Bourne Ultimatum but yet delivers a fine product. The screenplay is taut & the film does not have too many low points.


Films like Green Zone make us realize how the USA have made a mockery out of world peace talks & have their ulterior motives under the facade of democracy. The problem is that we realize too late & by that time, another Iraq has taken place.

To sum it up, Green Zone is a fast paced political-action thriller which keeps you engrossed. A thoroughly entertaining fare, this is not your average joe war flick & is definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3.5/5