War Dogs is the type of film that Scorsese would’ve loved to make and I mean that in a good way. It contains terrific performances from Jonah Hill and Miles Teller and has a story that features several unbelievable OMG moments even though we know the story is based on fact.
Hill and Teller stars as Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, two twenty-something lifelong best friends who get into the business of getting government contracts to supply weaponry to U.S. troops stationed over in Afghanistan. Teller’s Packouz is massage therapist who wants to make a better life for his girlfriend once she announces she’s pregnant and Hill’s Diveroli makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
The movie is essentially taking the Wolf of Wall Street formula and applying it with a military angle. Both men scam and scam their way to millions of dollars in such a short amount of time. While it may be considered wrong, they’re having a lot of fun doing it and we’re having a lot of fun watching it.
As I said before, the movie provides some wildly entertaining sequences including one where both men are required to drive through Iraq and there ends up being a standoff between U.S. troops and Iraqi terrorists on their way to kill them. Oh, and their vehicle conveniently runs out of gas for good measure.
Hill and Teller’s chemistry is really the strength of this film. It does delve deep enough as to why these guys are in the business and it features some hidden agendas not known to the other guy. A great mix of comedy and intrigue is what keeps the film on its toes at all times. Not to mention, its references to Scarface are about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the forehead.
This may not be a completely faithful adaptation of the real-life events, but it keeps us laughing and intrigued through and through.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language throughout, drug use and some sexual references.)
