The war in Afghanistan has not gotten much cinematic attention. Whether it’s because of films concentrating on the Iraq War more, the relatively recent nature of the conflict, or the inherent messiness of it all, there’s just a hole in the culture. Enter in Rod Lurie, who saw something in The Outpost, coming out of the Jake Tapper book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. The end result is not just one of Lurie’s best works, but a movie that is equally clear-headed about the war, while always being respectful to the individuals who were on the front lines. Hitting some theaters, as well as On Demand services this weekend, it’s one of the best efforts of the year, so far. This film is a war drama, depicting the events of the Battle of Kamdesh, what would be the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009. The focus is on an extremely small unit of U.S. soldiers, left all alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, an outpost located in incredibly hostile territory. The troops are essentially trapped deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, where an attack by the Taliban is a question of when, not if. Under the leadership of Captain Ben Keating (Orlando Bloom), Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV is a unit that spends their days beating back constant little skirmishes by the enemy. Among the group are Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha (Scott Eastwood), a no-nonsense solider, as well as Specialist Ty Carter (Caleb Landry Jones), who struggles to fit in. Each day brings another struggle, sometimes even a deadly one. Eventually, an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters descend on them in a coordinated attack, making their mission all about survival. Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV would go on to become one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict, but not without a significant cost of human life. Lurie directs a screenplay by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, based on Tapper’s book. Lorenzo Senatore handles the cinematography, while the score is by Larry Groupé. Supporting players in the cast include the likes of Milo Gibson, Cory Hardrict, Jack Kesy, Bobby Lockwood, Jacob Scipio, Celina Sinden, and Taylor John Smith, among others. Rod Lurie has a palpable passion for the material, without question, and that helps set it apart. Lurie has always impeccably cast his flicks, and this is no exception. As […]