A timely and hard hitting film about the Iraq conflict from the great Ken Loach and written by his long time colleague, Paul Laverty which deals mostly with the role of private security firms (mercenaries working for the various western governments) and their lawless actions out there in a conspiracy thriller with a very real edge that also shows the pressures on soldiers in civilian life to conform to normality when leaving a war zone. Using relatively unknown actors with Mark Womack starring and John Bishop (the comedian, surprisingly good) and Andrea Lowe co-starring, it is in this that a few flaws are shown as there is a couple of scenes which really don't look too convincing in my opinion but oblivious to this, it is still a very real feeling film for me in representing Womack as a troubled ex-SAS soldier who is working as a security soldier (merc) with his best friend joining him in Iraq for the big pay and Womacks relationship after the death with Bishops girlfriend (here in lies some great acting between Womack and Andrea Lowe). What transpires from the start is Womack not making a flight for a job due to a fight in Liverpool and Bishop getting killed in a manner which seems suspicious to him and from here you get a great 'who dun-nit' style thriller which doesn't pull it's punches in some of it's scenes in dealing with the guilty parties but also a good message and insight into what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan with the rise of private armies working for various corporations that are aligned with our governments and also some of the atrocities which happen on a regular basis that are swept under the carpet. Not in the league of 'the wind that shakes the barley' or 'my name is Joe' but still a entertaining thriller with a good message.
