"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" (movie critique)

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT - movie poster

Well, Dear Readers, one of the Friday Movie Mavens really wanted to take a chance on seeing "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" starting Tina Fey.  After seeing her last movie "Sisters" we were unsure if we even wanted to see another Tina Fey movie ever again.  But then after the end of the movie we all agreed we were happy we took the chance as this movie was much better than expected.  


 

Kay Barker

The Taliban shuffle

The store line of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is based on the memoir of Kim Barker titled "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan".  In the movie, the lead character's name was changed to Kim Baker.  





Kim is a television journalist and is stuck in NYC covering low profile stories.  Her boyfriend is constantly traveling and their relationship is in flux.  As the war on terror is ramping up in Afghanistan, she jumps at the chance for some high profile pieces as a war correspondent.  After a long and bumpy flight, she arrives and is met by her security guard and an Afghani translator.  She settles in at the secured low budget living quarters with the other international journalists.  During the course of her stay, she strikes up a friendship with a noted Australian correspondent Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie).  (hmmmmm...a sexy competitor, so should she be trusted? more on this enticing story after a short break)

With her Afghani guide, security driver and video photographer, Tall Brian, Kim takes off with a troop of Marines for a news story.  Along the way she butts heads with the Marine Commander General Hollanek (Billie Bob Thornton). Eventually he does begin to tolerate her and her reporting activities.  

Surprising her boyfriend one day with  a video chat call, she catches him with another women.  Needless to say they break up.  Kim decides to stay in Afghanistan long past her original 3 months tour.  In order to ingratiate herself to an Afghani leader (Alfred Molina), she even goes out shooting automatic rifles with him for some bonding time.

Kim becomes friends with Scottish freelance photographer, Ian MacKelpie.  But their friendship grows and eventually becomes a bit more than just a sexual relationship.  

Kim finds her network financial resources growing thin.  She makes a hasty trip to New York to meet the new network boss and to fight for more money.  However, when she gets there she founds out that her boss has replaced her with Tanya. (see, she was not to be trusted after all!)

Meanwhile back in Afghanistan Iain has taken a chance on a big story and  is kidnapped by the Taliban.  When Kim finds out about it, she immediately returns to Afghanistan.   When Kim unearths all the details of the kidnapping from the Afghani leader, she goes to General Hollanek and talks him into sending his elite Marine unit in to rescue Iain.  The Travelling Toe will not spoil the outcome for you but just remember that the Marines always get their man - no wait those are the Mounties!)

Kim realizes that her life in Afghanistan is not a true reality.  So she leaves all the chaos behind and returns to NYC.  She takes an on-camera desk job. Does she ever see Iain again?  Inquiring minds will just have to see the movie to find out.  However chocolate always gets The Travelling Toe in a talkative state!  Just sayin'.

SIDE NOTE:   This movie is rated "R" for various reasons.

 CAST:

Tina Fey - Kim Baker

Martin Freeman - Iain MacKelpie

Alfred Molina  - Ali Massoud Sadiq

Billy Bob Thornton - Gen Hollanek

Christopher Abbot - Fahim Ahmadzai

Nicholas Braun - Tall Brian

Margot Robbie - Tanya Vanderpoel

 




The Travelling Toe gives this movie 2 middle toes up with a burga just in cast you travel to Afghanistan.


Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.