Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

5 Days of War / 5 Days of August
2011
**
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Andy García, Val Kilmer, Richard Coyle, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rupert Friend, Johnathon Schaech, Dean Cain, Rade Šerbedžija, Antje Traue, Heather Graham, Mikheil Gomiashvili, Mikko Nousiainen

American journalist and his cameraman are in Georgia just as the 2008 war breaks out with Russia over the region of South Ossetia. The men attempt to survive the Russian onslaught so they can make the rest of the world aware of the atrocities carried out on the civilians. This real-life tragedy seems to provide Renny Harlin a showcase for his first thought-provoking directorial effort, but the film sadly doesn't turn out to be another Salvador or Under Fire. Despite the good intentions, this is just another dumb action movie. Here war is not hell exactly, it's exciting and entertaining. This was made with Georgian money and filmed on authentic locations, which makes it one-sided propaganda. However, in order to have universal appeal, the story needs an American hero, which just seems plain stupid. And since this an international co-production, everyone speaks English, at least when it forwards the plot. Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili even uses it to address his own advisors, but the hero needs an interpreter to speak to the civilians.