The Last Full Measure tells the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (also known as a PJ) medic who personally saved over sixty men. New Movies: Release Calendar for October 16, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films, 'Love and Monsters' Review: Dylan O'Brien Leads a Fun and Imaginative Post-Apocalyptic Romp, Oscars 2021: Best International Feature Film Predictions, See the Emmy Winners and Presenters from the 2020 Virtual Ceremony. I thought this was a great movie the only issue I have is that the MOH can only be awarded by POTUS other than that I thought it was fantastic, Loved the movie! “The Last Full Measure” covers the 1999 battle to obtain the Medal of Honor for deceased Air Force Airman William Pitsenbarger. Despite the overt melodrama, the messy plot, and the phony hearts and minds **** thia movies worst crime is crippling boredom. Many movies uplifting vets can reach a wide audience, not this one. Thomas Tulley (William Hurt, the only member of a stacked cast who’s consistently able to find something real in the fissures of this leaden screenplay).

Instill don't know what the big cover-up/secret is. However, I loved seeing talented actors from the 70's that have been ignored for years. ‘The Last Full Measure” does not, sad to say, measure up to its aspirations. Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. This film is better ! 'Love and Monsters' Review: Dylan O'Brien Leads a Fun and Imaginative Post-Apocalyptic Romp William Pitsenbarger was a 21-year-old air force medic killed on the battlefield in Vietnam in 1966 while nursing wounded soldiers – he had refused to be evacuated by helicopter. Takoda and Tulley most strongly represent the film’s examination of survivor’s guilt and both are given scenes that reflect their anguish. Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) is three months away from losing his current cushy government position due to the resignation of a higher-up. Jeremy Irvine is Pitsenbarger himself in battlefield flashbacks. ‘The Last Full Measure’: Film Review Reviewed at Dolby 88, New York, January 21, 2020. You may have noticed that I’ve said very little about William Pitsenbarger. Burr punctuates every sentence he speaks to Huffman with “sir,” and the way he says it hovers somewhere between an affectation and a threat. In fact, one of the film’s bigger pleasures is listening to these thespians plow through their numerous monologues.

Like Fonda, he walks a fine line of menace without going over the top. https://www.indiewire.com/2020/01/the-last-full-measure-review-1202204966 Borrowing its approach from “Spotlight” and its title from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “The Last Full Measure” unfolds like a stiff procedural wrapped around some of the hokiest war re-creations in recent memory. The Last Full Measure is a Drama that happens to be a war movie. Ed Harris, summoning every ounce of Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel energy he has left, pops up as one of the first interview subjects.

It stands out for its top-notch cast of stars (who all deliver convincing performances) and the fact that Vietnam War stories about the U.S. Air Force are rarely told in movies. Related Not bad for a regulation military movie, but I must confess to a wandering attention span; how else could I notice the cigarette that Jackson removes from the pack of Marlboros is an American Spirit? Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

And pity poor Alison Sudol, who plays Huffmann’s pregnant wife in what might be the wife-iest role of the year so far: all that’s required of her character is to stroke her baby bump and gaze adoringly at her husband. The Last Full Measure tells the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (also known as a PJ) medic who personally saved over sixty men. Of course, Huffmann the cynic wrestles with his conscience before deciding – to hell with his career! He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Rather than epitomize a great military man, he exemplifies what it is to be a great human being. The story begins in September 1999, when a fictional Pentagon staffer named Scott Huffman (a very bored Sebastian Stan) is given the grunt work of investigating a Medal of Honor request on behalf of Pitsenbarger’s best friend and fellow pararescueman Sgt. Without the budget to recreate the full chaos of that fateful day, the battle footage doesn’t resemble a deadly ambush so much as it does a poorly directed Court TV dramatization of some kind. Editor’s note: This review was originally published during the film’s theatrical release, it hits VOD on Tuesday, April 21. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 115 MIN. Sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between the characters, but overall it was absolutely stunning, A Pentagon staffer (Sebastien Stan) is assigned to investigate why a medic was denied the Medal of Honor after he gave his life to rescue numerous men in a bloody attack during the Vietnam War. “He never does,” replies Frank. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. Thirty-four years after his death, Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr. ("Pits") is awarded the nation's highest military honor, for his actions on the battlefield. Samuel L Jackson and Peter Fonda add heft to this by-the-numbers story of a Vietnam medic’s posthumous appreciation, Last modified on Thu 28 May 2020 07.03 EDT. An air force buddy (William Hurt) remembers Pitsenbarger as an idealistic young man who wanted to make a difference. Things take a hard turn for the histrionic as soon as Scott hits the road on his wild goose chase, as the government middleman systemically visits an endless parade of two-dimensional archetypes who are willing to speak to Pitsenbarger’s heroism. To keep him busy until then, his boss Carlton Stanton (Bradley Whitford) assigns him the case brought up by Tulley (William Hurt), the airman who sent Pitsenbarger into the jungle on the day he died. There’s hardly a moment in this film that doesn’t feature at least one great actor in top form. The award ceremony, when group after group of servicemen, family members, and various and assorted people touched by this courageous airman's valorous deed are asked to stand-and one can see how vast the repercussions of good deeds are-it's truly moving. While Robinson’s script eventually becomes far too erratic to mine any genuine conflict from its clerical scenes, the film is still at its best when exploring the bureaucracy of valor; only in this mode does “The Last Full Measure” feel as though it’s encouraging us to look closer instead of making us cringe. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. This Article is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged Ed Harris, Reviews, Sebastian Stan, The Last Full Measure. A talented cast of famous faces aren't quite enough to pull this war-time tale out of the mud of corny cliche. Samuel L Jackson is the officer whose men he rescued. On April 11, 1966, Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger, a young Air Force pararescue specialist, volunteered to descend by cable from a rescue helicopter into the hellish tumult of a firefight near Cam My to help extract wounded members of Charlie Company, an infantry unit pinned down by enemy fire. Instead, “The Last Full Measure” spends much of its runtime examining postwar post-traumatic stress disorder and the survivor’s guilt that accompanies it.

Ed Harris and Fonda are soldiers he saved. Set mostly in the late 90s, it follows a flashy and ambitious Pentagon staffer, Scott Huffmann (Sebastian Stan), who is ordered to gather witness statements to Pitsenbarger’s heroism. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. This piece of crap just made me angry. Sign up here. Acting grace notes almost rescue a generally graceless and lumbering combat/post-combat drama. Of course, he resents the task until he predictably begins to relate to the surviving vets and the power of their stories. This movie was made for a specific audience -- vets, current military and their families. Oscars 2021: Best International Feature Film Predictions The clock is ticking to get the medal while Pitsenbarger’s elderly parents are still alive (moving performances from Christopher Plummer and Diane Ladd). With Sebastian Stan, Alison Sudol, Asher Miles Fallica, LisaGay Hamilton. All rights reserved. After assisting the wounded on the ground, Pitsenbarger defies an order to return to his aircraft, opting instead to seal his fate by engaging in combat to cover the remaining company men. Their performances are the film's saving grace. But he’s mostly defined by the tales told by everyone else and as such remains a mystery held at arms length. During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, before making the ultimate sacrifice in the bloodiest battle of the war.


His Jimmy Burr is a still-traumatized man who has slept during the day for 32 years due to his unshakeable fear of the night. Directed by Todd Robinson. Writer-director Todd Robinson focuses on the campaign to get Pitsenbarger posthumously awarded America’s highest military award, the medal of honor.

My spoiler-free review of 'The Last Full Measure' from director Todd Robinson and Roadside Attractions. Without that, he feels like a ghost haunting his own story. But as Huffman learns more about Pitsenbarger’s courageous acts, he uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting him to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman. Christopher Plummer

The Last Full Measure review – half-hearted salute to an American hero 3 / 5 stars 3 out of 5 stars. See the Emmy Winners and Presenters from the 2020 Virtual Ceremony. This may have been Robinson’s intention, to keep him a bit enigmatic as a form of respect, but I wish I could have spent more time hearing from Pitsenbarger directly. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Those images, paired with soldiers’ occasional harsh profanity, make this a tough story to watch at times. In one of the few scenes of humor, Tulley offers up a handshake while the other guy is quite obviously indisposed. These heavyweight actors, playing men still coming to terms with how their adult lives have been scarred by war, add emotional depth and dignity absent from the script. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 New Movies: Release Calendar for October 16, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films ‘The Last Full Measure’ Review: A Hero’s Tale Clumsily Told The story of William H. Pitsenbarger, a pararescue specialist in Vietnam, mixes fact with flimsy fiction.