I saw this movie yesterday with my brother after he insisted watching it. “Jarhead” is a good movie; it is raw, simple, non-judgmental, colorful, funny, broad and non political.

I was somewhat surprised that the movie does not take any obvious stand on war. On the surface, it is a movie without subjectivity. And it is quite refreshing seeing a movie without any clear messages and standpoints. A viewer have to make his own opinion. My own opinion is that I don’t like war, I don’t like the reasons US troops are (or were) deployed in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq. But it’s my opinion and the movie does not show at any time it is being partial.

The director Sam Mendes has done a great visual job with beautiful images and colorful scenes from the desert. Music is great and totally fits into the atmosphere of “Jarhead”.

Acting is very good. Jake Gyllenhal, Peter Sarsgaard and Jamie Foxx are doing a great job.

Although completely cleaned of any subjectivity, I can’t help thinking “Jarhead” is an anti-war movie, or at least an ‘anti-brainwashing-film’ of the young men in the army.

I can really recommend this film to anyone who’s interested how soldiers (or marines, in this case) are thought to think, speak and act. However, if you think and expect to see great war scenes, you’ll be greatly disappointed, since this movie is really, I mean really, slow-paced.

4 out of 5 stars.