Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Movie Review

The filmography of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa includes four high profile films that they directed (including their latest, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”). While none of those films were disasters, they were all easily forgettable. “I Love You Phillip Morris”, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”, and the best of the lot, last year’s “Focus”. “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” is definitely the most uneven of the films. Most of the time it can’t decide if it wants to be a comedy or a serious war-time drama. 1988’s “Good Morning Vietnam” is a perfect example how it’s done right.

Tina Fey’s character Kim Baker in “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” is based on real-life reporter Kim Barker and her 2011 book , “The Taliban Shuffle’: Kim Barker’s unforgettable memoir of journalism in Afghanistan”. Fed up with feeling like her life is moving backwards instead of forward, Kim Baker takes an assignment in the middle of a war-zone in order to shake things up. Spending the next few years of her life in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kim’s whole life has undergone a complete change. She no longer even thinks of New York as her home anymore. The life change also includes a break-up with her cheating boyfriend (Josh Charles).

Kim isn’t the only female reporter around, she quickly becomes friends with Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie), who seems to know everything she needs to know about reporting in the middle of a war. Kim’s translator, Fahim (Christopher Abbott) is there for her from the moment she arrives and never leaves her side while in the field. Fahim is really one of the only likable characters in the film. Alfred Molina plays a very horny government official who wants to have his way with Kim, but he isn’t the only one with eyes for the journalist. Scottish war photographer, Iain Mackelpie (Martin Freeman) has also developed a thing for her.

“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” isn’t terrible, but it just doesn’t work very well. There are a few laughs but the mind-set of these characters is anything but funny. At times, their addiction to being in the middle of the danger seems like a sickness. Molina’s character feels like he should be in a slap-stick comedy as he never comes across as a real person. This is a problem for a film based on true events. The rest of the cast is actually quite good, most notably Abbott and Freeman. Still, a couple of laughs and a few good performances can’t save “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” from its’ many other flaws.

By: Marc Ferman