Vietnam. 1972. US Army Special Forces Major Cliff Marquette leads a squad ordered to investigate unusual reports and secure a remote jungle temple locals believe has mystical powers. The Marines guarding the temple have withheld provisions for days from a Viet Cong prisoner. Despite severe mistreatment, the prisoner mysteriously shows no signs of suffering. Marquette confronts the Marine in charge, Garris for torturing a prisoner of war when suddenly enemy forces attack and mortar shells rock the temple. An exceptionally heroic, but losing battle lands Marquette in the hands of a merciless Viet Cong torturer. His men are dead; his screams unheeded. At the height of agony, Marquette's world is turned upside down. In an instant, he finds himself a stranger in the midst of an American life that apparently belongs to him - an idyllic but unrecognizable life complete with a loving wife and two children he's never seen before. Marquette struggles to take in what is happening to him. First is paranoia. Soon uncertainty and fear give way to relief and acceptance. But the twist of fate that delivered Marquette into this life from the hands of his enemy has granted him only a reprieve. The cruel pain of war is not over. As the clock strikes midnight Marquette is back in Vietnam where his torture resumes a few minutes each night. Desperately trapped between two worlds, Marquette must endure;unless, with the clock counting down, he can cheat fate. Escaping will take his wits;and it will require a gun. Now, I loved "Lethal Weapon" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", but I cannot believe Shane Black wrote this pile…or that David Morse and John C. McGinley are in it. I screened it for a film festival. Awful. Everyone was laughing. It's preachy and heavy handed…not to mention stupid. Also, it's surprising how little L.A. looks like Cambodia. The entire idea of time traveling through post-traumatic stress disorder is kinda dumb. Imagine "Born on the Fourth of July" mixed with "The Butterfly Effect 2" (I used to sequel as the example to really show how bad this movie is) but directed by Michael Bay's 2nd unit director. That bad. The 2 stars are purely based on the production value. If you're into alternate realities, contemplating what's real and what's just a fantasy, this is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that'll keep you guessing and really make you think. Try to get a copy of it and see for yourself! I watched it at an L.A. film festival recently and it was by far the best one in the group that I saw. It helped that it was actually about something, unlike the others that were screened. It's very well directed and the production value is top notch. I would compare it to Jacob's Ladder in that it keeps you guessing as to what the true reality is of the world that we're in. You should definitely try to hunt this film down and if it's screening at any festivals near you, try to check it out.
Glorquinn replied
377 weeks ago