Excellent Condition

‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ is a ray of sunshine in the despairingly gloomy times that we are currently experiencing, a fascinating, witty, hilarious, yet subtly moving, and insightful look into the cutthroat world of war correspondence. Among many such films of the past, only a couple had the comedic and non-polemic touch that makes this movie very special indeed. I hadn't even heard about the memoir on which the film is based, ‘The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan’ by the journalist, Kim Baker, the heroine of the story. Nor had I thought much about the previous features by the directors, Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. Having seen this remarkable film though, I now have great respect for all three, for the delightful humour, that renders what could otherwise be a sombre account on an unheeded conflict into an uplifting adventure, comes largely from Baker’s writing, and, for the exquisitely understated approach by the director-duo achieves the perfect harmony amongst some notable contributions from a talented crew; from Robert Carlock’s elegant screenplay and Xavier Grobet’s exceptional photography to Nick Urata’s eclectic score, to name a few. The fact that the movie has been largely and imperceptibly shot in New Mexico, saving a bundle in the process, is a testament to the expertise of the team involved. Superbly edited, the narrative is simple, precise and, therefore, thrillingly engaging throughout, making us want more of the enchanting characters at the end. The directors also weave in a sense of foreboding into the proceedings, which is subtle yet persistent, because we care about the protagonists.