The Wall

A sniper-discussion confrontation between an Iraqi professor quoting Frost and Poe and his American counterpart, who dismisses them as “gay-ass Haji poems.” They are separated by a crumbling wall, by their motivations for killing, and by their reasons for living. The groaning, sand-crunching Aaron Taylor-Johnson showcased his physical acting skills, extracting nearly the maximum from a concept full of limitations. The finale with the rescue team is somewhat debatable, but I get it—reputation only matters as long as it lasts. By the way, casting the hefty Cena as an army sniper is an interesting choice. Once he’s out in the open, Bocelli wouldn’t even miss hitting him. (16/04/2024)

A minimalist war film isn’t your typical genre, but this one pulls it off with just a wounded soldier hiding behind a wall, another crawling through a field, and a sniper watching them both while conversing with the injured one via radio. It’s a compelling piece that captivates through its simplicity. (27/10/2022)

Liman’s cheap desert exercises and a huge one man show of a cunning sniper. The Wall isn’t a traditional war movie, it has more realistic approach and doesn’t side the Yankees, which is very refreshing. It’s a little bit boring at places, but its message is worth it. A great ending. (03/09/2017)

Another confirmation of the rule that more actors don’t necessarily mean a better dose of entertainment. Doug Liman is a very experienced director, so it’s surprising that he decided to make such a minimalist drama where the budget was limited and not many actors were involved. But I know that this type of film has its merits, and you definitely shouldn’t dismiss it right away. Aaron Taylor-Johnson delivered one of the best performances I’ve seen from him so far. His behavior was believable, and the emotions he expressed seemed very real. The dialogues between him and the enemy sniper had meaning; they weren’t just mindless phrases thrown into a conversation, so the script earns an extra point here. The story was decent, a few twists were surprising, but overall, it didn’t blow me away. However, the visuals felt chillingly convincing and authentic, which isn’t always the case. The ending hit the mark—finally, a good dialogue-driven standoff with excellent acting and well-executed craftsmanship. I give it 74%. (19/08/2017)

A rather bold attempt at filming a quite confined movie. A group of snipers fighting for survival. A few characters in a very small space, almost nothing is going to happen, you think, but it's not boring at all, and you wonder how it will all turn out. Taylor-Johnson and Cena showed their skills and impressed me. I had a nice time with it. (07/08/2017)