CRACKER? Mine (2016)

                “Mine” is an Italian and American production directed by Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro in their debut.  It was filmed in Spain.  The movie was low budget and had limited release in America where it did not make a splash.

                The movie is set in an unspecified North African country.  A sniper named Stevens (Armie Hammer) and his spotter named Madison (Tom Cullen) are on a mission to assassinate a high value target.  Stevens is reluctant to take the shot because the target is part of a wedding party and there are children involved.   Madison argues for doing their job and a higher-up orders it, but Stevens still refuses.  The duo are spotted and only a sand storm saves them.  Unfortunately, their trek takes them into a minefield and Stevens steps on a mine.  Uh oh!  He started in a war movie which morphed into a Western (Indians chasing cowboys) and then evolves into a psychological thriller.  He’s gonna have to stay on that mine for 52 hours before any rescue can be attempted.  Tick-tock.  Those 52 hours will give him plenty of time to flashback to daddy issues. 

                “Mine” is a showcase for Hammer and he acquits himself well.  But it’s not like he is breaking new ground.  If you watch a fair amount of war movies, you’ve seen the old “caught in a minefield” scenario before.  This trope makes much of the movie predictable, but the movie puts a new spin by pushing the psychological element.  In a sense, Stevens spends time on a mine instead of a psychiatrist’s couch.  That is certainly more entertaining for us.  Throw in some surrealism and you have the horror element.  The movie is downright freaky at times as Stevens interacts with a Berber who stands in for a shrink.  He advances the theme that a person needs to move on from a traumatic childhood.  Stepping off the mine symbolizes moving on.  The movie tries to be deep, with some success.  It is also semi-successful in being entertaining.  It does make you wonder what you would do under similar circumstances.  However, because the movie is quite unrealistic, it is unlikely anyone would ever be in the situation Stevens gets himself into.  It’s pure Hollywood.

                “Mine” is a nice time-waster.  You would kick yourself for seeing it in a theater, but at home when you’re not in a binging mood, it should keep your eyes open.  I don’t want to discourage movie-makers from making war movies and at least it’s not one of those terrible straight-to-DVD crapolas.  

GRADE  =  C