Lebanon

Director Samuel Maoz sets his drama about the 1982 Lebanon War almost entirely inside of a tank, where four men deal with an angry commander, low rations and inexperience. The movie has gotten a lot of appropriate comparisons to Das Boot; you get the definite sense that you are sitting inside of a big tin can and watching guys unravel. Parts feel a bit clichéd and staged, especially the depictions of action on the outside, viewed through the tank’s targeting scope. A moment when the men accidentally shoot a chicken truck has a final image that is supposed to be terrible, but it’s silly in a bad, horror-film kind of way. Still, despite the flaws, much of the film works, thanks to strong performances from the ensemble cast. The film doesn’t delve too much into politics, making it an interchangeable story about the rigors of war.