Quick Movie Review: Restrepo (2010)

Restrepo (2010)

Bottomline: Terrific documentary telling the story of the men of the Second Battalion deployed to on of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan.


Where Can I See This Oscar-nominated documentary? It is available for rent on DVD and for instant viewing from Netflix.

QMR Opinion: The best documentaries are the ones that allow the story to tell itself. Directors Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington are embedded with the Second Battalion as it ships out to one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. They turn their cameras on and just let the story tell itself. For a little over 90 minutes, we tensely watch these young soldiers come under a constant barrage of gunfire from an unseen enemy. And, yes, some of them do not survive. It’s heart wrenching and inspiring at the same moment to see these volunteers put themselves in harm’s way for our country. Other than the occasional personal interview, the documentary captures the lives of young men who know they may die at any moment.