Camp X-Ray

I know what you're thinking; what movie is this? Then you type the title in your handy search engine there, and you learn that the young Kristen Stewart is the star of this movie. I know a lot of people are extremely opinionated about her based on her Twilight series and the whole "no emotion" thing, but don't be so quick to judge. For those of you who've seen her indie films, you guys know what I'm talking about.

What an emotional roller coaster this movie was!

Kristen Stewart plays soldier Amy Cole, who basically walks the halls in Guantanamo Bay babysitting detainees. She specifically keeps a special eye on a detainee named Ali Amir, played by Peyman Moaadi. Over time, they develope a soldier-prisoner bond (sounds totally wrong, right?) and it turns out to be such a heart wrenching story.

Now why would anybody befriend an individual held at Guantanamo Bay? Somebody who isn't entitled to the Geneva Convention and is said to have done some hardcore terrorist activities? However, the way the story goes, it's not that strange as it all may sound. From beginning to end, the movie leaves you on a cliffhanger the entire time. It opens with 9/11, which immediately makes you feel terrible, but the rest of the opening scene is so bizzare. The film places you in some big ball of confusion and leaves it up to you to decide if this Amir guy really did what he did, or if the ball and chain is on the wrong ankle. Camp X-Ray goes so far in depth that you forget why this Amir guy is there in the first place. The relationship between the two makes you laugh, makes you cry and just makes you assume that these two were meant to be best pals or something.

This may not be what you imagined from a movie about Guantanamo Bay. Maybe you expected
something more violent, or some terrorist overthrow. Well, it's not, but this is a story that will stick
with you hours after the movie is done. I've never studied the chemistry between two fascinating people so much in my life! Director Peter Sattler created a wonderful project here. He should be very proud. It's a damn shame this film wasn't a theatrical release in Canada, well, not in the main provinces anyway....

Grab some popcorn, invite a friend over (trust me, you'll need to discuss this movie with other people when you're done) sit and engage. Harry Potter fans, you may even like this too. Yes, I totally recommend this movie. It's so complex that it's enjoyable.

If there's a film you're not sure about, comment, I'll watch it and let you know how it unfolds.