There have been a lot of films about American Wars, and almost every one of them fails to address the nuance, and I believe that Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is one of them.
Following a journalist named Kim Barker (Tina Fey), who has been sent to Afghanistan, where she meets her co-workers who are doing their best to commit to the Western lifestyle while adjusting to cultural norms and harsh rules.
The first half is exceptional when Barker arrives in the regime ruled by the nation. Barker is immediately met with scorn from a woman for not wearing her scarf properly, and finds it difficult to adjust to a country ravaged by poverty.
Robbie is excellent as a fellow journalist, while Tanya brings sharp line delivery and adds charm to the film. There are some questionable casting choices here with white actors portraying Afghans, and they deserve to be critiqued like any other film.
It's during the second half that the wheels of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot begin to fall off. The film starts to feel more like a sex comedy than a satirical take on war and women's subjugation. There are bits and pieces like Barker finding out that women were intentionally destroying wells so that they could travel far away and have a semblance of social life, but these themes get ignored in the broader context.
There have been a lot of films about American Wars, and almost every one of them fails to address the nuance, and I believe that Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is one of them.
Following a journalist named Kim Barker (Tina Fey), who has been sent to Afghanistan, where she meets her co-workers who are doing their best to commit to the Western lifestyle while adjusting to cultural norms and harsh rules.
The first half is exceptional when Barker arrives in the regime ruled by the nation. Barker is immediately met with scorn from a woman for not wearing her scarf properly, and finds it difficult to adjust to a country ravaged by poverty.
Robbie is excellent as a fellow journalist, while Tanya brings sharp line delivery and adds charm to the film. There are some questionable casting choices here with white actors portraying Afghans, and they deserve to be critiqued like any other film.
It's during the second half that the wheels of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot begin to fall off. The film starts to feel more like a sex comedy than a satirical take on war and women's subjugation. There are bits and pieces like Barker finding out that women were intentionally destroying wells so that they could travel far away and have a semblance of social life, but these themes get ignored in the broader context.
