War Machine
Film poster
Directed byDavid Michôd
Written byDavid Michôd
Based onThe Operators
by Michael Hastings
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDariusz Wolski
Edited byPeter Sciberras
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • May 24, 2017 (2017-05-24) (High Street Phoenix)
  • May 26, 2017 (2017-05-26) (United States)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[1]

War Machine is a 2017 American satirical war comedy film written and directed by David Michôd and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Anthony Hayes, Topher Grace, Will Poulter, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Kingsley. Based on the nonfiction book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings, it is a fictionalized version of the events in the book based on United States Army General Stanley McChrystal.[2]

The film was released on Netflix on May 26, 2017.

Plot

In the summer of 2009, four-star General Glen McMahon, having won renown for his effective leadership in Iraq, is sent to Afghanistan to prepare a strategic assessment so that the government can end the ongoing war.[3][4] He is given wide latitude to write it, on the sole condition that he not request more troops.

McMahon and his staff, particularly his right hand man Major General Greg Pulver, are united in their belief that the war can be won, and decide to recommend that President Obama authorize a surge of 40,000 additional troops to secure Helmand province in order to stabilize the country. However, the Secretary of State informs McMahon that, because he requested more troops, and such a surge is incompatible with upcoming elections, McMahon's report will not be reviewed until after Afghanistan's presidential election.

Captain Badi Basim, a member of the Afghan National Army, joins McMahon's staff as a "representative" of the Afghan people. He arrives in civilian clothes as he does not wish to wear his uniform, which he has in a bag, because of the risk of being killed. Meanwhile, McMahon is informed that due to massive voter fraud in the recent election, a runoff election will have to be held, further delaying the review of the assessment. Fed up, McMahon secretly leaks the assessment to The Washington Post and organizes an interview with 60 Minutes, during which he reveals that, in the last 70 days he has only been granted one meeting with President Obama.

In response, Obama announces that he will send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, but that all U.S. and coalition forces in the country will leave in 18 months, infuriating McMahon and his staff for telegraphing America's Afghan strategy to the Taliban in Afghanistan. To gather the remaining 10,000 troops needed for his strategy to work, McMahon and his men head to Paris to negotiate with the other coalition nations.

In Paris, McMahon learns that the President is in Denmark and wishes to meet with him. The ambassador to Afghanistan warns McMahon that he needs to understand President Obama's position: if McMahon continues to anger the President, he will be fired for insubordination. The President, however, merely shakes McMahon's hand as he climbs aboard Air Force One, supposedly due to time constraints. McMahon and his staff attend a dinner in McMahon's honor, accompanied by Rolling Stone writer Sean Cullen, who intends to write a feature story about his performance for an upcoming issue. The next day, during their wedding anniversary dinner, McMahon's wife Jeanie confronts him about how much time he's been spending fighting abroad instead of being with his family back home.

While en route to Berlin with McMahon's staff to continue negotiations, Cullen observes their behavior when "out of country" and concludes that they are arrogant, seem to care little about the growing public perception that the war is costly and unwinnable, and hold civilian leadership in contempt. At a conference to discuss his strategy, McMahon is confronted by a German official who criticizes the war and McMahon's strategy. Nevertheless, both the Germans and the French agree to furnish the troops needed for McMahon's planned offensive, codenamed "Operation Moshtarak", to proceed, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's approval.

The operation launches, but soon runs into trouble when several civilians are accidentally killed. When McMahon holds a public meeting with locals to apologize for the incident and explain that the U.S. is fighting the war for the benefit of Afghans, the crowd grows hostile and a local community leader asks McMahon and his troops politely yet firmly to leave.

McMahon later learns that Cullen's article has been published, and realizes it paints a negative picture of him and his staff as openly speaking against the President and mishandling the war effort. The President calls McMahon to Washington. Knowing that he will be fired for his actions, McMahon returns to Washington and later takes a job as a civilian consultant.

In the aftermath, Cullen ponders the consequences of his article, noting that he wished McMahon's fall would finally convince the government to stop invading foreign countries and end the war in Afghanistan. Instead the government simply assigns a new general to replace McMahon.

Cast

McMahon's Entourage

U.S. Diplomats

Politicians

Combat Marines

Other cast members

Production

On April 27, 2012, it was announced that New Regency and Plan B Entertainment had acquired the film adaptation rights to the 2011 best seller non-fiction book The Operators by Michael Hastings.[19] On April 14, 2014, David Michôd was hired to write and direct the film based on the war in Afghanistan.[6] Brad Pitt was attached to star as General Stanley McChrystal and produce the film along with his Plan B partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, while the film would be financed by New Regency and RatPac Entertainment.[6]

On June 8, 2015, Netflix acquired the distribution rights to the film which was re-titled War Machine, while Ian Bryce also came on board to produce the film along with others.[20] On June 17, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that there had been a budget issue between New Regency and RatPac with producers of Plan B, and thus Netflix had stepped in to buy the distribution rights for $60 million.[1]

On August 4, 2015, Emory Cohen was cast in the film to play a member of Gen. McChrystal's staff.[9] On August 10, 2015, Topher Grace joined the film to play Gen. Stanley McChrystal's civilian press adviser.[11] On August 11, 2015, John Magaro signed on to play Cory Burger, a special ops soldier and close advisor to General McMahon.[13] On August 14, 2015, Scoot McNairy joined the cast of the film.[14] On August 19, 2015, Anthony Michael Hall was added to the cast to play General Hank Pulver, loosely based on General Mike Flynn.[12] On August 20, 2015, LaKeith Stanfield signed on to the film.[17] The same day, Will Poulter also joined the cast for an unspecified role.[16] On August 25, Anthony Hayes joined the film.[8] On October 23, 2015, TheWrap revealed that RJ Cyler had also joined the film.[10]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began in mid-October 2015 in London.[21][22] Later on October 19, filming began in Abu Dhabi; the city was transformed into Kabul, streets into a military fortress, an old building as an American Embassy in Kabul, and a street as a Palestinian border crossing.[23][24] Filming also took place at the Abu Dhabi International Airport in November.[24] In mid-November 2015, while final scenes were being shot, actors were spotted filming in Ras al-Khaimah and the city's old neighborhood was transformed into Pakistani villages and a military base-camp.[25] The film’s final scene filmed in Sydney Airport’s International Terminal arrival hall, is a cameo appearance by Russel Crowe, a Sydney resident, along with other Australian Dan Wyllie. The scene displays pitch black windows as it was filmed during the airports 11pm to 6am shutdown and curfew.

Release

The film was released on Netflix on May 26, 2017.[26]

Marketing

Brad Pitt visited Mumbai to promote the film and attended a special screening at PVR High Street Phoenix on May 24, 2017.[27] He also met Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to promote War Machine.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 97 reviews, and an average rating of 5.64/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "War Machine's uneven execution keeps its fact-based story from cleanly hitting its targets, but those flaws are frequently offset by sharp wit and solid acting."[28] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a 56 out of 100 score, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[29]

References

  1. 1 2 McClintock, Pamela (June 17, 2015). "Whoa: Netflix Actually Paid $60M for Brad Pitt's Politically Charged Military Satire". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ McGinley, Michael (May 3, 2017). "Brad Pitt Talks Divorce, Quitting Drinking, and Becoming a Better Man". GQ. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  3. ↑ Grow, Kory (March 30, 2017). "See Brad Pitt Play Runaway General in 'War Machine' Trailer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ Crothers, Jennifer (March 31, 2017). "The trailer for Brad Pitt's Netflix film War Machine is here". The Daily Mirror. Mirror Group Newspapers. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ Seemayer, Zack (January 31, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt Looks Like a Ken Doll on the Set of Upcoming Netflix Drama 'War Machine' — See the Pics!". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Television Distribution. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 14, 2014). "New Regency Taps Brad Pitt, David Michod To Tell Gen. Stanley McChrystal Afghan Story 'The Operators'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ Mancini, Vince (May 22, 2017). "Brad Pitt And David Michôd's 'War Machine' Is An Absurd, Tragicomic Home Run". Film Drunk. Uproxx. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (August 25, 2015). "'Animal Kingdom' Actor Anthony Hayes Joins 'War Machine' With Brad Pitt (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  9. 1 2 A. Lincoln, Ross (August 4, 2015). "Joey King Will Be 'Going In Style'; Emory Cohen Enlists In Netflix's 'War Machine'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (October 23, 2015). "'Power Rangers' Movie Adds 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' Star RJ Cyler as Blue Ranger". TheWrap. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  11. 1 2 McNary, Dave (August 10, 2015). "Topher Grace Joins Brad Pitt In Netflix Black Comedy 'War Machine'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Busch, Anita (August 19, 2015). "Anthony Michael Hall Joins Brad Pitt In Netflix's 'War Machine'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  13. 1 2 A. Lincoln, Ross (August 11, 2015). "John Magaro Joins 'War Machine'; Jason Fuchs Moves To 'La La Land'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 14, 2015). "Scoot McNairy Joins Brad Pitt In Netflix's 'War Machine'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  15. ↑ Stolek, Jim (August 26, 2015). "Ben Kingsley teaches Patricia Clarkson how to drive in new dramedy". Toronto Sun. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  16. 1 2 McNary, Dave (August 20, 2015). "Will Poulter Joins Brad Pitt in Netflix's 'War Machine'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (August 20, 2015). "'Straight Outta Compton's Keith Stanfield Joins Brad Pitt's Netflix Movie 'War Machine' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Drew (May 26, 2017). "Director David Michôd on Why Netflix's 'War Machine' Could Never Be Made at a Studio". Moviefone. MoviePass. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  19. ↑ Abrams, Rachel (April 27, 2012). "New Regency, Plan B dial 'Operators'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  20. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 8, 2015). "Game Changer! Netflix Lands 'War Machine', Brad Pitt's Next Star Vehicle". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  21. ↑ FOX-Leonard, Boudicca (October 17, 2015). "Brad Pitt looks GREY-t as silver fox on London set of new film War Machine". Daily Mirror. Mirror Group Newspapers. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  22. ↑ Walano, Rose (October 19, 2015). "Brad Pitt Is the Ultimate Silver Fox on the Set of War Machine (Move Over, Clooney!)". Us Weekly. American Media. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  23. ↑ Sheridan, Wade (October 15, 2015). "Brad Pitt's Netflix original movie 'War Machine' to start production in Abu Dhabi". United Press International. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Arts Life (October 21, 2015). "Quiet Abu Dhabi street transforms into War Machine film set". The National. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  25. ↑ Arts Life (November 14, 2015). "RAK becomes celebrity zone as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fly down to the emirate". The National. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  26. ↑ Trenholm, Richard (March 1, 2017). "Brad Pitt prepares for battle in Netflix's 'War Machine' trailer". CNET. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  27. ↑ Panchal, Komal RJ (May 24, 2017). "Brad Pitt is in Mumbai to attend War Machine screening, to meet Shah Rukh Khan". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  28. ↑ "War Machine (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  29. ↑ "War Machine Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
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