Reinventing War Narratives With Mixed Success

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MOVIE REVIEW
Fortunes of War
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Genre: War
Year Released: 2024
Runtime: 1h 25m
Director(s): Bill Thomas
Writer(s): Bill Thomas, Ian Thomas
Cast: James Oliver Wheatley, Asan N'Jie, Sophie-Louise Craig, Daniel Thrace, Stanley J. Browne, Max Gates, Meg Morgan, Bob Cryer
Where To Watch: Released on digital February 19, 2024

RAVING REVIEW: With FORTUNES OF WAR, Bill Thomas, alongside Ian Thomas, takes us on a journey into the WWII era, aiming to inject new vigor into the war drama landscape. The film's ambitious premise is to avoid the well-trodden paths of war narratives, offering a blend of drama and history as unpredictable as the battlefield it seeks to portray. It is a film that shows that indie action movies don’t have to be all dialogue, although they also ride the fine line of working outside of their abilities with some CGI usage.

The film ambitiously steps away from the usual war narrative, introducing us to a story filled with unforeseen alliances and ethical quandaries and dropping us right into the midst of the battle. As British soldiers find themselves navigating the dangerous landscapes of Normandy after a failed mission, FORTUNES OF WAR carves its niche, creating a narrative that's both unique and reminiscent of war classics yet stands on its own. The soldiers' encounter with a remote farm sets the stage for an intricate exploration of friendship and moral complexities against war's harsh realities. I believe that, by definition, this is what a 2.5-star film was made for; in my rankings, a 2.5 is a film that falls right in the middle, one I didn’t love but also didn’t have enough issues to make me dislike it.

Bill Thomas's direction brings an authentic and refined touch to this narrative, setting it apart from other direct-to-video films in the genre. His skillful narrative crafting and tension management elevate the movie beyond its conventional roots, making it stand out. However, the film's reach occasionally exceeds its grasp, as its ambition sometimes leads to moments where the depth of the narrative is overshadowed by predictability and the occasional lapse into character stereotypes.

James Oliver Wheatley's portrayal of Sergeant Mason delivers a strong performance, providing the film with much-needed depth. Despite this, the overall character development across the board feels somewhat lacking, with the supporting cast sometimes veering into the clichéd realms. The plot's shift towards themes of greed and survival brings an exciting twist but falls short of fully delving into these aspects within the broader storyline.

Unfortunately, the film's attempt at visual spectacle is saddled by outdated CGI and effects, which detract from the overall immersive experience. These technical drawbacks, coupled with a storyline that can sometimes wander, underline the difficulty of melding historical accuracy with cinematic spectacle.

Nonetheless, FORTUNES OF WAR adds excitement with that indie touch to the war genre, mixing intense action scenes with moments of reflection on human resilience in the face of adversity. Thomas's direction captures the essence of wartime urgency, though the narrative depth could benefit further development.

FORTUNES OF WAR is a notable attempt to redefine the storytelling boundaries within the war genre. It presents a mix of historical drama and speculative fiction that entertains and challenges its audience. Although it doesn’t fully realize its lofty ambitions, it encourages a departure from traditional storytelling toward exploring new territories and untold stories of human strife and resilience. This mixed bag of a film thus represents both the potential for and the limitations of innovation within the genre, marred slightly by execution flaws.

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[photo courtesy of 101 FILMS]

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