John Cusack’s Satire Film “War, Inc.” Provides New Spin On Modern War
Versatile actor John Cusack has decided to pour his anger over the Iraq war into a new film aptly titled, “War, Inc.”
Cusack helped write the screenplay, and the cast is pretty diverse including Academy Award winners Ben Kingsley and Marisa Tomei, and singer/actress Hilary Duff.
Targeting the very political aspects of the war, Cusack is pointed in his criticism and uses the film to capture the anger many feel about being railroaded into a war very few support, but with a wink as it were. Here’s more from the article:
“I think the movie should be kind of offensive,” Cusack told Reuters about the film, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles theaters on May 23. “I’m shocked at how much good reaction we’re getting.”
“Sometimes with a serious, somber movie, even though they’re great and well intentioned, it just doesn’t allow you to be outraged because you just get depressed,” he said. “This allows you to actually feel like, ‘Let’s do something subversive.”‘
In the movie, Cusack plays a hit man hired by Tamerlane to assassinate a Middle Eastern oil minister who plans to lay an oil pipeline through Turaqistan, thwarting the company’s plan for sole proprietorship of the country.
“(The movie) was just a reaction to the war and all the insanity behind using the 9/11 attacks to make an imperial land grab in the Middle East,” he said. “We really wanted to channel our outrage a little bit into something creative.”
We are huge Cusack fans in our house. From his early days starring in teen flicks like “Better Off Dead,” “Say Anything” to his great work in “High Fidelity,” and “1408″ — I think Cusack has matured into one of the greatest actors of my generation, and he’s dead sexy too.
Cusack, like so many in Hollywood these days, is trying to take a stand, although he’s putting a humorous spin on a very unfunny subject. There is a method to his madness, and like Robert Altman’s immensely popular film, “M.A.S.H” set during the Korean war, Cusack wants his humor to have some bite:
We’re trying to raise awareness with it. It is funny and it is bizarre and a little disturbing,” she said. “But really at the end of the day it’s looking at what (our country is) doing, and it’s not right.”
And with U.S. presidential elections looming, Cusack hopes his movie will spur “some kind of resistance of the spirit.”
“There’s hopefully an exuberance to the movie because I think being subversive should feel good,” Cusack said. “It should be fun to throw a brick.”
The trailer looks great, and it reminds me how Cusack was able to capture a lovable quality even when playing a hired assassin in “Gross Pointe Blank.” I highly recommend that movie as well. John’s like a sexy Tom Hanks or something.
(hattip: Maura)
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And with U.S. presidential elections looming, Cusack hopes his movie will spur “some kind of resistance of the spirit.â€
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha….poor naive bastard.
I do like the movie…but of he thinks he can prod the stupid, sheepish masses to action…he really needs to read more history.
Comment by Smeg — May 2, 2008 @ 12:27 pm