MoPoshy
Absolutely brilliant
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
jcook56050
A lot has already been written about this little film that could. So, let me say that one of our local Christian stations played Saints and Soldiers on Memorial Day. I had my doubts, but it's rare that a highly rated film gets placed on the schedule for midday from this station. So, I sat for a while to check it out. By the time I knew what was happening, the film was over. Wow. That doesn't happen very often.For such a low budget film, this is one of the best human interest stories I've ever seen from the World War II perspective. It gets down and dirty in the trenches and explores the inner doubts, fears and certainties of the soldier's reality. It even, God forbid, shows us that even the enemy can have members that are both compassionate and understanding in the face of mindless human tragedy and death.My compliments to the extraordinary effort the technicians and extras put into placing these actors into real human situations and into a scenario that is hard to detect as a forest in Utah. We had a hard time figuring the location, even though we had been there in person. If high budget motion pictures had just a fraction of the attention to detail and freedom to express real stories that this one has, what an amazing set of movies we'd see on the big screen.I can do nothing other than highly recommend this film. It is exceptional. (written by a U. S. Coast Guard veteran).
kirbytyphlosion
I love this take on a war story. I like explosions and action as much as the next guy, but it was refreshing to get a look at soldiers when they aren't running away from exploding tanks in slow motion. The relationships between the characters were not only well-acted, but also realistic. This film also did a great job of showing, in the very few actual confrontations, that war is between humans who all think they're right, not denizens of pure good and pure evil fighting to eliminate the other. I also liked the subtle details that showed that the director paid attention SPOILER(at first I agreed with my friend that it was unrealistic for the medic to use a gun, but then I realized that he missed every shot, like a real person who had never fired a gun in war would have). If you're really into weapons and war history, you'll notice inaccuracies with the props and such, and it sometimes got hard to keep track of who was who. Another thing I didn't like is the sound balance. It was very hard to hear the characters at some points, especially crucial lines that, if missed, make the viewer wonder what their reasoning was for a certain action. All in all, this is an excellent movie about "human-ness" in war and a refreshing take on the war movie genre, but it does have its flaws.
jmrlasvegas
I always enjoy films about the Battle of the Bulge. It was the worst of times for Americans in the entire European war, so this battle always provides special opportunities for extra---but realistic---plot tension. When it's about the Battle of the Bulge, we never know whether our characters will be rubbed out, taken prisoner, taken prisoner, then rubbed out, tangle with clever Germans wearing the wrong uniforms (who also speak perfect English and know who won the World Series) or whether our heroes will just manage to hang on against a terrible whipping in awful weather. All of these elements make this a particularly rich venue for wartime drama.This movie was apparently shot for less than a million dollars, but it's a far better film than that modest budget would suggest. Even with unknown actors, it takes real skill to put a period piece with special effects on the screen for that amount of money. Nice cinematography. The weapons and the uniforms all look correct and the acting is decent.I would not be bashful to recommend this film to a stranger and would be happy to watch it again.
marinesdaughtr
Having not read the book, I will say that this movie was very good. True, it wasn't as good as Band of Brothers, but still superb. One thing I loved was that the entire movie went without one F word. I disagree with the reviewer who said it had Mormon overtones. Not one thing in the movie mentioned any religion, so I don't understand why he/she thought that it did. One character served a mission and taught a family. Many religions send missionaries abroad to teach. He's also seen reading scriptures. Many people do. And, if I was ever in a war and behind enemy lines, I'd sure be doing some praying myself. Great film. I wish more script writers would find other adjectives than the F word.
