Castello di sabbia

A decent and straightforward War movie. It's not very combat centered, but rather focuses on the soldier's internal conflicts. I've seen plenty of War films like this before and unfortunately this one doesn't stand out as that unique compared to many others. It feels like an extension of something you'd see on "Generation Kill". It's not necessarily a bad thing, because if that is your thing then you are gonna like this movie.

I will give it this though; I like the story-line of the soldier's giving water to the people in the village. That's actually one of the main missions the characters are given. I appreciate that it explores a simple story like that. Giving water to the people in need is ultimately more important than winning a war. Nicholas Hoult's character seems to find a purpose of being part of the army by doing this act of kindness because he feels that he finally does some good. So, that aspect was well portrayed in this movie.

Henry Cavill is not in the movie that much, but whenever he is on screen he plays his supporting character well. I think they should have utilized him much more, since he really was doing such a good job playing a kind of eccentric captain. A different role compared to what he has played before. The editing in some scenes distracted me. They started zooming in the image on the same shot a few times and I didn't like that. It's better to just let the scene play out in one shot. Don't start jump-cutting and zooming it in all the sudden. You have different angles for that.

The music is great. Some parts gave me "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Apocalypse Now" vibes and the end credits song is very relaxing. So, the movie leaves you with a nice feeling because of the music. It's not bad as I said, just a tad underwhelming. You can watch it and enjoy just fine.

Sand Castle will likely resonate with general audiences. The acting in it is good for the most part, as Nick Hoult pulls of his part very well. His acting is pretty spot on and the story telling around his character is well done. Logan Marshal-Green did a superb job in his role as a get-it-done SSG who reminded me of a couple different platoon sergeants I'd worked with while in Baghdad. The story itself is fine, and even though the outcome was predictable, I didn't stop rooting for the guys to get it done. Where the movie fell short for me was in the details. Coimbra should have hired a decent military adviser to help him out. A good example is found within the first few seconds of the movie, as Hoult's character strolls to a great tune by Queens of the Stone Age through a staging area in Kuwait (camp New York?) he walks past some tanks that are being readied for combat. M60 tanks. I kid you not. As an M1A1 Tanker myself, I knew at this point there were going to be some obvious flaws-and there are quite a few others-but they didn't really detract from the story. I'd probably recommend this movie to others for the story alone. If you are former military, just know what you are in for.

After a small squad of soldiers is tasked with helping distribute water to an embattled town, a devastating series of consequences will change them forever. Shown from the perspective of a disillusioned private, Sand Castle is as much allegory as it is a retelling of actual events. While the main character does traverse an arc, the conclusion of this film may leave some viewers wanting something more satisfying.

This film tells the story of a young soldier in Kuwait, who is reluctantly being sent to Iraq to help fix the water supply system in a village. However, their help is not welcomed by the village, and they are mey with multiple hostile attacks.

"Sand Castle" has a simple but effective plot, where the soldiers have to do everything in their power to fix the water supply that got broken in the war. A seemingly simple task becomes very complicated when the locals are actively resisting and even sabotaging the operation. It can be plainly seen that, what seems to be a good will mission from one side is interpreted as an unwelcomed act by the other side. I think this unwelcomed good will mission can be extrapolated to the whole war, and this particular mission is a microcosm of the whole Iraq war. It leaves soldiers wounded physically and psychologically, especially when soldiers think they are doing good.

I don't know what the budget for this film was but I doubt that it was huge. Even so this is an excellent film about men and war and the aftermath of their actions. Although there is a some conventional war film action this is generally a well-paced, slow moving film which might not appeal to viewers hoping for non-stop action.The characters are well drawn and the acting is first rate. Hoult, in particular, is excellent but Cavill, as well, is fine. There is a little of the usual American gung-ho moments but these are timed and acted well so they help to define the characters rather than simplify them. It's not a preachy film about rights and wrongs and the Iraqis are, the limited fight scenes aside, portrayed as people under duress attempting to continue their lives as best they can. Overall a very good, thoughtful film.