After a summer of swashbuckling pirates, computer-animated creatures, and 50-foot tall robots, a movie like “The Hunting Party,” which is based on a true story, comes as a breath of fresh air.
“The Hunting Party,” starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard and Jesse Eisenberg, is based on veteran war correspondant Scott Anderson’s October 2000 Esquire article, “What I Did On My Summer Vacation.”
The story follows TV news reporter Simon Hunt (Gere) and his loyal cameraman Duck (Howard), who have worked in the world’s most infamous war zones. The two men are callously good at their jobs and have the Emmys to prove it.
But when Simon has a meltdown during a live broadcast from Bosnia, the men go their separate ways as Simon is fired and Duck is promoted to a comfortable job in New York.
Five years later, Duck returns to Sarajevo with newbie reporter Benjamin (Eisenberg) to cover the fifth anniversary of the end of the war. Simon turns up and informs Duck that he knows the location of the Bosnian war criminal known as The Fox.
With little information and not much of a plan, the three journalists set off to get the biggest interview of their careers with a man who has eluded the CIA for years.
“The Hunting Party” appropriately begins with the disclaimer, “Only the ridiculous parts of this story are true.”
This film requires audiences to suspend belief a number of times, as one convenient lead after another is dropped into the reporters’ laps. Each plot twist is a little wackier than the next.
But while the film should be taken with a grain of salt, that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable.
Written and directed by Richard Shepard, who also wrote and directed 2005’s “The Matador,” starring Pierce Brosnan, “The Hunting Party” alternates between being dramatic, action-packed and downright hilarious without skipping a beat.
So while elements of the story may seem unbelievable, it’s always fun to watch. The script is well written, as it includes sharp dialogue and a dark comedic sensibility.
Gere (“Chicago,” “The Hoax”) is charming in the role of Simon Hunt. Gere combines a roguish charm with subtle desperation to convey the character, while doing the best he can with some of his cheesier lines.
Terrence Howard (“Crash,” “Hustle and Flow”) does his best work in a while, after working in underperforming films like this year’s “Pride.”
His performance here is confident, as he, like much of the film’s audience, doesn’t quite buy in to the adventure Gere’s character Simon has cooked up.
The real standout of the film is Eisenberg (“The Squid and the Whale”) as greenhorn reporter Benjamin. He has several running jokes throughout the film that remain funny every time.
What’s more impressive is that Eisenberg never reaches the point of being the idiot sidekick who gets more irritating as the journey progresses. He manages to be adept and help out once in a while, while still maintaining his “new guy” status among the trio.
“The Hunting Party” is fast-paced and funny, while highlighting a talented ensemble of characters.
The film’s message is clear and the conclusion is humorous and thought provoking, thus making “The Hunting Party” worth seeing.
