Men with Guns

Men With Guns (1997) - Review
In case you missed it earlier, I love John Sayles. No matter how high my expectations when I sit down to watch one of his films, I am never disappointed. Most often my expectations are exceeded. That has happened again.

"On the surface" (Sayles' films are usually about much more than what's on the surface) the story is about the horrors of civil war in "an unnamed Latin American country", especially the terrific effect of "collateral damage" on innocent civilians. But the heart of the film is what happens to the characters - notably revelation and redemption - as they move through the story. The framework for the story is dark and, well - evil. But one can't help fall in love with the characters, as much for their weaknesses as their strengths; they are above all human.

I've noticed that my taste in the arts tends to a certain shade of darkness that, at the same time, celebrates the human condition. In the past I've used as example the early albums of Jackson Browne (specifically For Everyman and Late for the Sky), the novels of Dickens and John Irving, the films of Hal Hartley. As of right now I'm officially adding to the list the films of John Sayles.
(out of 5)