'Jarhead' doesn't suck

In 1999 when Sam Mendes made his directorial debut with "American Beauty" and cleaned up at the Oscars, people knew he was going to be a big deal. In 2002 with "Road to Perdition," he easily changed gears from mid-life crises in suburbia to vengeful neo-noir while one-upping himself. Now in 2005 Mendes heads into the war zone with "Jarhead," adapting Anthony "Swoff" Swofford's account as a malcontent Marine during Desert Storm. \nFrom his days in boot camp, into Desert Shield and ultimately Desert Storm, Swoff's (Jake Gyllenhaal) military duty is nothing like the movies made it out to be. Sitting there watching helicopters destroy a village in "Apocalypse Now," hoping to see the same kind of action found in "The Deer Hunter," Swoff gets to the desert and does nothing. Days are spent in the desert heat playing football, drinking water, running drills, drinking more water, masturbating -- wash, rinse, repeat. "Jarhead" is an examination in boredom, the kind that finds a Marine disappointed with what the movies, and more importantly the military, have lead him to believe about serving his country. \nThe toughest part about adapting a novel is that sections get changed and/or cut out. You can't avoid it -- Sam Mendes couldn't avoid it. There's a lot to capture in Swofford's stunning novel and Mendes made the right decision in chopping out sections like Swoff's time spent in Japan and family-related issues. It all read well in the book but in the movie it would just weigh things down. \nWhat Mendes does adapt properly from the book is the portrayal of characters. Jake Gyllenhaal makes for one great Swoff, capturing the steady decline from being a proud Marine to a pissed-off one. 2005 is the year of Jake Gyllenhaal. "Proof," "Jarhead" and the forthcoming "Brokeback Mountain" -- this guy is getting an Oscar nomination and I'm putting bets on "Jarhead." Peter Sarsgaard deserves a Best Supporting Actor nod as well, playing Swoff's sniping partner Troy whose demilitarized deterioration becomes frightening. And who could forget past Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper. They both do a great job, especially Foxx, but unfortunately for Cooper his role is more of a cameo than a supporting role. \nAfter cinematographer Conrad L. Hall's passing, Mendes had to find another man to entrust his vision. Five-time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins, responsible for classics such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Fargo," is that man. Everything Deakins touches in the film seems like a mirage, almost too good to be true. Once the oil fields begin burning you'll see his brilliance tenfold. \nComparisons to Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" are easy to make as Mendes goes from boot camp to battlefield, but at this point in his career I'm willing to compare Mendes himself to Kubrick. Both directors never repeated themselves, always trying out a different genre. Granted Kubrick made 13 films and Mendes just finished his third, but Mendes' next film project is "Sweeney Todd." Going from military to musical? Bravo sir. \n"Jarhead" is one of the year's best films and Sam Mendes, now three for three, is solidifying himself as an important director for many years to come.