Lebanon

Director Samuel Maoz sets his drama about the 1982 Lebanon war almost entirely inside a tank, where four men deal with an angry commander, low rations and inexperience. The movie draws a lot of comparisons to Das Boot. Claustrophobic, greasy and smoky, you get the definite sense you’re sitting inside a big tin can watching guys unravel. Some of it feels a bit clichéd and staged, especially the actions 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 is just kind of silly in a bad horror film kind of way. Still, despite the flaws, much of the film works thanks to strong performances from a decent ensemble cast. The film doesn’t delve too much into politics, making it an interchangeable story about the rigors of war. The setup could work in a story about most modern wars.