Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk | Film review

Briefly back home in the States following an act of heroism during a tour of Iraq, a fresh-faced 19-year-old US army private (Joe Alwyn) faces an ordeal every bit as terrifying as combat: being publicly honoured during the halftime show of a Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day football game (American variety).

Based on a novel by Ben Fountain and set in 2004, satirical drama Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk seizes on the gulf between the reality of war, seen in eye-searing flashbacks, and the patriotic hoopla taking place in the stadium, complete with fireworks, marching bands and a performance by Destiny’s Child.

Discomforting hyper-reality

Director Ang Lee shot the film at an ultra-fast 120 frames per second (five times faster than the normal rate), which gives the images a discomforting hyper-reality. The intent is to give the soldiers’ experiences on and off the battlefield a raw immediacy, but the effect is to rub our noses in the film’s anti-war message. Still, the movie certainly grabs our attention, while Alwyn’s callow hero gets good support from the likes of Vin Diesel, Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Leigh and Steve Martin.