Some 30 Rock Wit Keeps This Film Alive
The original title for this war dramedy was The Taliban Shuffle, which is the name of the book by reporter Kim Barker on which it is based. It's a title that has a certain bite to it; a self-aware element of dark comedy. Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels, along with 30 Rock writer Robert Carlock, are the perfect team to tackle this material—Barker has even alluded to book reviews referring to her as a "Tina Fey type"—but unfortunately the blandly titled Whiskey Tango Foxtrot delivers its story of self-discovery in the Middle East right down the middle, though Fey and Carlock's sharp, slightly anarchic 30 Rock wit provides just enough comedic heft to give the film a bit of its own voice.
Kim Baker (Fey) decides to bring some serious change to her life when she accepts an offer to be an on-air correspondent in Afghanistan in 2003 (she is, as her boss points out, just one of a handful of the unmarried, childless employees suited to the position). Once on the ground in Kabul, she meets a fellow on-air reporter (Margot Robbie) and a roguish, Scottish freelance photographer (Martin Freeman), as well as the general (Billy Bob Thornton) of the soldiers she covers. The one-liners don't flow as fast and furious here as they did on 30 Rock, but when they do come, this cast relishes delivering them, particularly Alfred Molina as a salacious Afghan public official.
The story of someone leaving a boring life and embarking on a remarkably different path is nothing fresh, but Kim's eventual hunger for action in a place unsafe for women gives the film its own distinct spin on the concept. Seeing Fey play terror with a hint of excitement during an early, dangerous ride-along with marines puts you on the edge of your seat because it's unexpected. Kim's not shedding her inhibitions, she's enjoying the chance to be reckless, and it's evident that Fey is enjoying a character with such range. She doesn't have to carry the film with such a talented cast supporting her, but she could with the performance she delivers.
As a dramedy, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot wouldn't be complete without some true drama, and Carlock and directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa find the right balance between the horrors of war and dark comedy. The film doesn't offer any new insights about war, but the cast plays the heavier scenes with honesty, and prevents the film from feeling like a comedy with too few jokes.
Ficarra and Requa don't add much visual flair to the proceedings, though they keep things moving along so Kim's story never gets dull. Carlock's script and the performances of a top-notch cast are the real draws here, and they make Whiskey Tango Foxtrot a war dramedy worth your time. Whether or not you're a big fan of Tina Fey and 30 Rock will help you decide if that time will be spent in a movie theater soon or on your couch when the film hits cable.