Director Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Genre Comedy | War
Cast Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman
Rating R
Release Date March 4th, 2016
“A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.”
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (a widely used military term for WTF) is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who also teamed up to direct Focus (also starring Margot Robbie) as well as Crazy Stupid Love (one of my favorites), which starred Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell. It is based on the book “The Taliban Shuffle”, written by Kim Barker, and is her memoir chronicling her experiences in Afghanistan as a war journalist. Based on true events (obviously), the film stars Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, and The Hobbit himself Martin Freeman. We are also blessed with the presence of the ageless Billy Bob Thornton, who recently starred alongside Freeman in the first season of the FX series Fargo.
I am a huge fan of realistic war-time films, past and modern day, with The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty serving as my most recent favorites. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is something of a hybrid type film in the sense that it is part raunchy comedy and part love story, all the while shedding light on the serious drama and political aspect of the events that took place when the journalist first arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2002. I was entertained for the vast majority of the film and had some good laughs but struggled with the film’s slow pacing and the somewhat convoluted message. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot tends to play a bit of tug-of-war with the viewer bouncing back and forth between lighthearted humor and a dramatic overtone. I will say that overall I was pleased with the conclusion of the film which is what matters most at the end of the day. Plus I am picking apart a film based on true events, is that even allowed? Honestly, I’m not sure. Making that decision is well beyond my paygrade.
The acting in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is commendable and I think they did a great job putting together a group of experienced and versatile actors. Stand-up comedian turned actress Tina Fey is still trying to prove herself as a serious actress and I felt like her performance was a step in the right direction. Her character had depth and she was able to portray Barker as a woman desperate to break free from her stagnant and unfulfilling life. She shows signs of her range as an actress in Sisters but the comedy in that film far outweighed everything else. The absolutely stunning Margot Robbie continues to find role after role and she stands her ground once again. Martin Freeman was also quite impressive in his role as a freelance photographer. Christopher Abbott, who I automatically picture as Marney’s pushover boyfriend in the HBO series Girls, is nearly unrecognizable with his full beard and is actually believable as native Afghan and translator/liaison Fahim Ahmadzai. He is starting to make a name for himself as an actor and is building up quite the IMDb resume.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is an entertaining war dramedy (drama/comedy hybrid) that has something for everyone. Unfortunately it does seem to lose its way at times and suffers from pacing issues. Should this deter you from checking it out in theaters? I don’t think so. If you like Tina Fey as an actress and find yourself in the mood for a love story with a bit of a twist, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot should easily satisfy that craving.
