You can always tell what movies are going to be instant tear jerkers. Cue the dramatic music, the small children and/or animal character, and the innocence. War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg and based off a children’s novel, was a movie held to high expectations. With all the acclaims and praise it received, it was hard not to think the movie would be anything short of fantastic.
Acting: the key element to connecting with a story. Acting touches the deepest part of the human emotion pool that requires seasoned and diverse actors to pull off. For a movie to dream of being successful, they have to have the right actors. In the film, I did not recognize many actors at all. Jeremy Irvine, the main young actor and a new house-hold name, did a poor job in portraying his part. His emotions seemed faked and over strenuous, not to mention that his British “accent” often faltered. No actor had enough screen time to fully portray their characters, lacking that critical connection needed in the movie crowd.
The movie starts off in a pristine little town, with the birth of Joey, the horse whose life you follow. You follow his life from birth, to Joey’s place in the war, and then how he makes it back home, with the main problem being: Joey must be reunited with his owner, his best friend, and his companion for life. Basic plot, with an obvious ending. The outline of the story might have looked good on paper; watching the plot lay out is what was excruciating. I found myself frustrated with how long the plot took to develop and advance. Each scene carried on too long, and I lost my interest and desire to connect with the movie. Not once did this supposed “tear-jerker” touch me, unless when I was being forced to watch horrific war acts, which anyone would cringe to. Time seemed to slow down while watching this film. A two hour movie turned into a time consumer, one where you constantly beg for it to end. Dry humor didn’t make time go any faster either, it just made it more kid friendly. The story itself is above mediocre, to the point where I would have rather read the book, but the way that it is told makes you want to kick the back of the seat of the person in front of you.
Overall, it is feel-good movie, one where you want the good guys to win. The cinematography was the best I have seen in a long time; the director revived cinematic art once again, a lost trait that is under appreciated. If anything, the art embodied in the scenes is what should be praised. Each take , there was always something new to catch my eye, and as my thoughts trailed away from the movie the cinematography always brought it back. The cinematography is the only good thing I can say about this film. I had no character connections, no attachment to the plot. Maybe I’m heartless, maybe this movie bombed, either way, if you must see it wait till it comes out on disc; I’ll guarantee that you’ll wish you didn’t waste your time paying to watch this.