10 Jun What Would You Choose?

Stationed in an Afghan province, A War follows a Danish army commander, Claus Pedersen (Pilou Asbk), and his men as they fight against the Taliban. Pedersen’s wife, Maria (Tuva Novotny), and children are having trouble getting acquainted with the absence of the man of the house. Much of the first half of the film focuses on the dilemma of Denmark and Afghanistan’s obvious distance. Everyone’s lives are quickly turned upside down during a routine mission when the soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire. However, Pedersen has the ability not only to compose his men, but also inspire them during a hectic time. He is forced to make an abrupt decision in order to save his men, even if there’s a consequential outcome for him and his family back home.

From the director of A Hijacking, Tobias Lindholm manages to construct a foreign drama film into what seems more like a documentary full of actual war footage. He focuses on the raw and emotional perspective to allow viewers to see what a situation like this does to soldiers, as well as their families. Although, we tend to see many films about war, Lindholm is able to take an extremely complex subject and make it somewhat more understandable for the average person.