Rescue Dawn

[Jeff Lebowski]

I rented this DVD last week:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504/

It is directed by Werner Herzog and is based on a true story about a US Navy pilot shot down over Laos who was a POW and then escaped. I believe he was the only US POW in the Viet Nam War to successfully escape.

I am big fan of true stories, especially when the filmmakers go the extra mile to stay true to the historical account, as they did in this case. It is a remarkable story. Highly recommended.

There was some superb acting in this film. As the story progresses, the characters lose weight and become much thinner. I wondered how this was done, since that is more than a camera trick. I did a little research and found that the main actors lost weight before the film and they then filmed the movie in reverse. Over the six weeks or so of the filming, they ate rich food so as to gain weight quickly. It is amazing how much weight they lost for this film. Especially Jeremy Davies:

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/04625...th_key=0462504

He went above and beyond the call of duty. The producers were concerned that he lost too much weight and his health was in danger, but he (and the others) insisted that he wanted to do it out of respect for the POWs.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I rented this DVD last week:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504/

It is directed by Werner Herzog and is based on a true story about a US Navy pilot shot down over Laos who was a POW and then escaped. I believe he was the only US POW in the Viet Nam War to successfully escape.

I am big fan of true stories, especially when the filmmakers go the extra mile to stay true to the historical account, as they did in this case. It is a remarkable story. Highly recommended.

There was some superb acting in this film. As the story progresses, the characters lose weight and become much thinner. I wondered how this was done, since that is more than a camera trick. I did a little research and found that the main actors lost weight before the film and they then filmed the movie in reverse. Over the six weeks or so of the filming, they ate rich food so as to gain weight quickly. It is amazing how much weight they lost for this film. Especially Jeremy Davies:

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/04625...th_key=0462504

He went above and beyond the call of duty. The producers were concerned that he lost too much weight and his health was in danger, but he (and the others) insisted that he wanted to do it out of respect for the POWs.

I liked it too. But for some reason, I couldn't buy into the acting of the dude who just played Batman (can't remember his name). He seemed too phony for me. Davies was phenomenal.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I liked it too. But for some reason, I couldn't buy into the acting of the dude who just played Batman (can't remember his name). He seemed too phony for me. Davies was phenomenal.

Christian Bale.

I know what you mean. He seemed far too upbeat given the circumstances. But apparently that is an accurate portrayal of the real character. He was friendly to his captors and somehow maintained hope through the entire experience.

[Venkman]

Great movie.

[ThatSportsFan]

Yes it was a amazing show. I felt really bad for the guy that ended up staying with Christian Bale.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by ThatSportsFan

Yes it was a amazing show. I felt really bad for the guy that ended up staying with Christian Bale.

Steve Zahn turns in a surprisingly good performance.

[RockyBalboa]

Very good movie and great performances all around.

One of the more underated movies of the past year that deserves more attention than it got.

[ThatSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Venkman

Steve Zahn turns in a surprisingly good performance.

I know. I saw that he was on the show and the first thing that came to my mind was Saving Silverman. He did a excellent job.