Production Year: 2001 - Drama - Director: Gregor Jordan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Elizabeth McGovern, Dean Stockwell, Joaquin Phoenix, Anna Paquin, Leon, Gabriel Mann more
Joaquin Phoenix stars in this dark service comedy as Ray Elwood, an Army clerk stationed in West Germany just before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Part of a company made up... more
Buffalo Soldiers DVD
It's 1989 and bored US soldier Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) is finding some original ways ... more
to keep himself busy. Tuck on duty as Batallion Clerk at a US Army base in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall Elwood is maintaining a lucrative side...
Buffalo Soldiers
It's 1989 and bored US soldier Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) is fighting some original ways ... more
to keep himself busy. Stuck on duty as Batallion Clerk at a US Army base in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Elwood is maintaining a lucrative sideline in black market trade and minor league drug-dealing, right under the nose of his hapless superior, Colonel Berman (Ed Harris). When a training exercise goes wrong, Elwood and his cohorts are there to pick up the pieces; in this case, a huge stash of arms which they plan to sell to the local Mafia in exchange for money and dope. But their plan starts looking a little less foolproof when hard-as-nails Commander Robert Lee (Scott Glenn) turns up. He's there to tighten up the battallion's operation and that includes busting Elwood's scams. Worse yet, he's brought his daughter (Anna Paquin) with him; she's smart, sexy and not afraid to go against her father's wishes - all of which makes her irresistible to Elwood.
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Production Year: 1957 - Drama - Director: Leo McCarey - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Cathleen Nesbitt, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Fortunio Bonanova
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
A review by sewbizzie on Buffalo Soldiers (DVD) June 26th, 2009
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Indifferent to it
Story
Very ordinary
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Unmemorable
How does it compare to similar films?
Unmemorable
Advantages:
Good acting
Disadvantages:
Not funny as stated, showed the Army in a very bad light
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
On a recent trip to Tesco and a quick search through the bargain DVD’s I came across this one which I thought I would treat hubby to and also for me it stars Joaquin Phoenix who I do really like. I have to say from reading the cover of the DVD I was expecting good things and for the film to be very funny, Sadly I was very let down.
The film is set in 1989 with the US military based in West Germany. They w ere stationed there to train and prepare for what people believed would be the start of another war. We meet Ray Elwood, played by Phoenix who a clerk for his regiment. We meet him and his men when they are all playing a game of American football in their room and when an unliked soldier asks to join he dies after he is pushed and hits his head on a table. The body of this soldier is thrown out of the window so the men can make it look like an accident. Things start to go wrong after this as the soldier is given a post-mortem and is found to be full of drugs.
Their Colonel, played by Ed Harris has the job of telling Elwood that there will be a new chief coming to the camp due to the drugs and he is not a easy touch. Elwood is not remotely interested in the commander and is more bothered about making a deal for the wagons full of weapons and ammo which he has stumbled across so he can get his hands on more drugs for his money making side line.
When the new Commander, Robert Lee turns up things start to take a turn for the worse for Elwood as Lee will not stand for any of his nonsense and the men soon take a dislike to each other. Elwood soon finds what he thinks is a way to get around him by dating his daughter though.
Will Elwood be able to carry on with his major deal for the weapons or will Lee finally make Elwood do his job properly? What will become of the relationship with the Elwood and the Commander’s daughter?
Please do not think I have given too much of this plot away as there is so much more to be seen in the film despite what I have given away.
Firstly I have to say that I was slightly let down as I thought this was going to be a war film after reading the cover for the DVD but it was nothing like one, the military were only based on a training camp and there was no battles or war going on. The film does make the US military out to be drug taking lay about’s which I think is slightly unfair as the real military do do a great job. Joaquin Phoenix took the role of Elwood and I do think he did a great job and made the most of the character he was given to play. I think he tried to do his best with what he was given and he did make this character very believable.
The other main actors in the film included Scott Glen who played the role of Commander Lee and I think he did a good job of playing the hard nose army chief and he did show the strict, no nonsense side to the army which is how is should be. Also we had Anna Paquin who took the role of the Commanders daughter and I think she was a great choice for the role as she was not spectacular looking and she was a down to earth girl who really did bring a side of normality to an otherwise daft film. I think that she had a great chemistry on screen with phoenix and their characters worked well together.
The storyline to the film was not at all believable as this kind of stuff would not be tolerated or allowed in the US military and I don’t think that any man who has the rank of Colonel could possibly not know what his men were getting up to and just sign papers to allow all of the strange items which were being ordered. This was a big let down for both me and hubby and we found it do show the military off in a very bad light.
No as I said before this film says on the cover that it is hilarious and very funny but both me and hubby did not find this, I cannot recall one part where I actually laughed. I did in fact find it extremely hard viewing and sad when the soldiers were being given a beating and far from funny. I think the humour was intended to be with the drug taking and the dodgy side line work but we never found it amusing.
The film was set in 1989 with the men being based in West Germany just before the collapse of the Berlin war and I did think that the sets, costumes and scenery were all in keeping with this time. We can see how old the film is supposed to be with the vehicles and cars which are used. There is not much to give away the year of the film by the military uniform as it looks very similar to what they wear now. The music which was used in the film was good but nothing spectacular and certainly not at all memorable. It was all in keeping with the parts it was used for.
The DVD which we have does have some bonus material which includes:-
Trailer Interview with Gregor Jordan Behind the Scenes Interviews with Cast and Crew Directors Commentary Sundance Channel’s ‘Anatomy of a Scene’
We were not impressed with this film so did not bother to watch these and also I do not have any interest in behind the scenes features.
The running time of the film is 94 minutes and the run time of the features is 56 minutes. The certificate on the film is a 15 and I do agree with this as there is a lot of bad language and some violence.
I am so glad that I only paid £3 for this DVD as it was a disappointment to both me and hubby but I will recommend you watch this just to see if it makes you laugh like it says it will!
Advantages: Inventive and unusual story Disadvantages: It's not really a war story, so disappointing for some
"Buffalo soldiers" was one of a few movies whose cinema release was postponed due to the events of 9/11. I recently re-read an old copy of Empire magazine from 2002, which included a piece about the film as being about to be released.
Viewing it now, it's a little bit difficult to understand exactly why. The movie is about mavericks, the military, and there are some explosions, but it's not about any of the subjects you might have expected to cause ... ...that) It's not about terrorism, or ethnicism or religion, it's not even about New York. But then Hollywood got so jittery around that time, about so many subjects.
The backdrop for "Buffalo soldiers" is in fact Germany.
It centres on the US army, based there in the 1980s, at the time of the Berlin Wall coming down. These are men who have very little to do in the line of real work, some of them turn to pursuits like basketball. Some, on the other ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Distinctly Different, Solid Acting, Entertaining Disadvantages: Not a traditional army movie
Buffalo soldiers is a distinctly different military film as it occurs in the peace-time period shortly before the end of the cold war in 1988. It's lead role is filled by Joaquin Phoenix (Emperor Commodus in Gladiator) as Batallion Clerk Ray Ellwood. He and his unit are based within Berlin, but Ellwood fills his time by selling procurred army supplies to the locals and drugs to his various base acquintances. His main sideline includes the cooking ... ...well-scripted, well-cast piece of cinema, Buffalo Soldiers will appeal to more than just people who like a good old war film. The film is drizzled with plenty of darkly comic moments to break from the seriousness of the general story.
When I first watched this movie, I personally really enjoyed it and found it to be quite original. There are very few criticisms I can find without being pedantic and would recommend this film to most people reading ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A very funny tank sequence, good level of satire Disadvantages: None really
...his daughter (Anna Paquin).
Buffalo Soldiers works as a dark comedy with a good level of satire thrown in. There is one outrageous scene that sees some drugged up soldiers pilot a tank completely off course, through a market, down hills, an exploding petrol station, through a forest and amazingly onto their intended destination. It really is funny stuff in the drug-fuelled mould of Fear and Loathing. There are also other great moments such as Elwood’s ... ...Anna Paquin doesn’t have a lot to work with in the male dominated cast but she holds her own.
Buffalo Soldiers for me was an entertaining 90-minutes that worked on a number of levels. I’d happily sit through it again and I would say it’s well worth a rental. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Joaquin Phoenix & Anna Paquin Disadvantages: Quite bleak in places
This is a quirky, black comedy movie of sorts. It's the kind of film that you either love or hate, I don't think there's much room in between for anything else.
It centres around US soldiers stationed in Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's peace time and the boredom appears to be a killer for them all .... to use their words "at least a war is exciting".
Ellwood (gorgeous Joaquin Phoenix) works in the supply department but actually ... ...including requisitioning and selling on army goods to the Germans on the black market, thanks in part to his hapless Colonel (Ed Harris) who just doesn't have a clue. He's also involved in supplying drugs which are sold to the on-base dealer - a high ranking MP believe it or not.
When a new officer arrives, he immediately realises what Ellwood is upto (as if the Mercedes and the expensive furniture weren't a dead give away) and sets about stopping ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Thought provoking, entertaining Disadvantages: good but never quite great
...BUFFALOSOLDIERS (1997)
BuffaloSoldiers was a made for television movie that tackles head on issues of genocide, slavery and racism, with an unflinching, intrinsic, methodical approach. Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, late 1800's and during the American Indian Wars, BuffaloSoldiers uses an entertaining slant to emphasise the cold harsh reality, as well as danger of ignorance and prejudice. BuffaloSoldiers won two awards and was nominated for a further six.
Film Specifications
Director: Charles Haid, Nip/Tuck, The 'L' Word, NYPD Blue
Running Time:100 Min
Certificate: 15
Release Date: 07th December 1997
Synopsis
Buffalosoldiers sees Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, Silverado) Playing sergeant Washington Wyatt in the U.S Cavalry leading a troop of BuffaloSoldiers. There is some...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Joaquin Phoenix stars in this dark service comedy as Ray Elwood, an Army clerk stationed in West Germany just before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Part of a company made up almost entirely of ex-convicts and school dropouts, Elwood takes advantage of his daft commanding officer, Col. Berman (Harris), by selling heroin and stolen Army supplies wholesale. However, when a member of the company dies and an autopsy reveals a remarkable amount of drugs in his bloodstream, far more intense scrutiny is brought down on the base in the form of Sgt. Lee (Glenn), a tough and savvy Vietnam veteran who immediately surmises that Elwood is the brains behind the base's black market operations. Unfortunately, Elwood has just happened upon the biggest score of his tour and now must unload two trucks full of arms and 30 kilos of heroin just as Sgt. Lee has begun to orchestrate his downfall. Based on Robert O'Connor's novel, BUFFALO SOLDIERS is cynical but not irreverent; it doesn't treat its characters irresponsible and often idiotic behaviour lightly nor does it judge them. Director Gregor Jordan has done an excellent job of adapting the tone of the original novel to the screen, and, aided by excellent performances from Messrs. Phoenix and Glenn, makes BUFFALO SOLDIERS a thoroughly enjoyable satire.
Technical information
Special Features: Sundance Channels Anatomy Of A Scene, Directors Commentary, Interviews, Behind The Scenes, Interview With Gregor Jordan, Trailer, Interactive menu
![Buffalo Soldiers [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77943042.jpg)
17.02.2008
