The Hunting Party Reviews

• The Fine Line Between Comedy and Tragedy

  
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2008-01-28
  At first glance, during the music and opening sequences of THE HUNTING PARTY, it is difficult to ascertain if the film about to be seen is a comedy or a docudrama about a genocidal maniac. Once the repartee of dialog sets in we realize that journalists require a certain mindset and vantage that allows them to cover war and other atrocities and once that tenor is adjusted the film makes solid sense.
  
  Based on a true story by Scott Anderson (a journalist) THE HUNTING PARTY (written for the screen by Richard Shepard who also directs) deals with a top notch journalist Simon (Richard Gere) on the skids and his buddy cameraman Duck (Terrence Howard) and youngster journalist Benjamin (Jesse Eisenberg) who meet up after Simon's self imposed exile to follow a lead to 'interview' The Fox (Ljubomir Kerekes), the most wanted war criminal from the Bosnia/Croatian war. Their trail follows life-threatening chases and captures and escapes until they expose what the CIA has been doing to prevent - the capture of this heinous maniac. While the atmosphere is rather grim, the production is pitch perfect and the performances by Gere, Howard, and Eisenberg manage to reveal the complexities of the mental states and bizarre outlooks of journalists who elect to be right next to the horrors of war and crime in order to deliver a story. Food for thought here, and a much different approach to the life of correspondents than we've had before. And, it is based on fact! Grady Harp, January 08
  
  

• Only The Most Ridiculous Parts of the Story Are True

  
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2007-09-14
  "Only the Most Ridiculous Parts of the Story Are True"
  
  As I read this brief title card at the beginning of the new Richard Shephard ("The Matador") film "The Hunting Party", I suddenly realized something. For months, I have been watching a trailer for a different film. Funny thing is the film I saw was better than the film promoted by the trailer. Let me explain.
  
  Over the course of many months, I saw the trailer for "The Hunting Party" many times. Every time I watched it, the film was painted as a fairly typical war story. Richard Gere plays a reporter covering stories in various war zones, Terrence Howard plays his cameraman. Together, they dodge a lot of bullets and explosions. Jesse Eisenberg ("Noah and the Whale") plays a young newbie along for the ride. Every time I watched the trailer, I couldn't help suppress a yawn. It appeared to be too conventional to have anything new to say.
  
  Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a television commercial for the film. This commercial was different; mentioning the film was directed by Richard Shepherd. Richard Shephard? The director of "The Matador"? "The Matador" was an unusual film, a dark comedy featuring great performances by Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. It wasn't one of my favorite films, but I appreciated the dark, offbeat sense of humor. When I learned "The Hunting Party" was a dark comedy, my interest became peaked.
  
  Simon (Richard Gere) is a danger junkie. His job as a reporter for a major television network's evening news has made him a star and he seems more comfortable wearing a pair of cargo pants and a camouflage vest, dodging bullets, than he would be at a dinner party enjoying conversation. His cameraman, Duck (Terrence Howard), has been with Simon for a lot of years and also gets an adrenaline hit from the danger, a rush he has become addicted to. Then, one day, Simon loses it. On live television. He is fired and Duck returns to New York to become the personal cameraman for the network's news anchor Franklin Harris (James Brolin, doing a fun riff on Dan Rather). Five years later, Franklin and Duck return to Sarajevo to cover the ceremonies surrounding the anniversary of the end of the war in the Balkans. They take along Benjamin (Jesse Eisenberg), the son of a network VP. Upon their arrival in Sarajevo, Duck immediately runs into Simon who now travels to various war zones doing freelance reports for any network that will pay for it. Simon has a crazy idea. He knows where "The Fox", one of the most wanted war criminals, is and thinks they should go and try to get an interview, traveling into a very unsafe Serb area under the criminal's control. It hasn't escaped Simon's attention that there is a $5 million dollar reward for The Fox. He could sure use the money.
  
  "The Hunting Party" is based on a true story involving Sebastian Junger, the celebrated reporter and author of such books as "The Perfect Storm" and many Vanity Fair articles delving into the politics and history behind various war zones. Simon is based on Junger and some of his associates, who apparently came up with the idea of trying to capture a real war criminal in the Czech Republic while drunk. As the story unfolds, there are some outright hilarious moments as Simon, Duck and Benjamin prove they have more intelligence in their head than any of the UN forces charged with keeping the peace in the region. The US Government? Forget about it. After they get in a scrape, Simon and his friends are rescued by Chet (Dylan Baker), a member of an elite Spec Ops force of the US Government. Chet proves he is all bravado very quickly.
  
  "Hunting" is about male bonding. Simon and Duck are friends, have lived through a lot together and are sad when events pull their friendship apart. Because this friendship lives in war zones, they also get an adrenaline high from the friendship, and the danger they face on a consistent basis. It is a sort of win-win relationship for them. When they are reunited haphazardly, you can see the relief on Simon's face and the joy on Duck's. Duck has been living a safe life in New York, as the cameraman for the network anchor. When he sees Simon, in Sarajevo, he immediately starts to think back to the life he once had, filled with danger and excitement. When Simon sees Duck, he realizes his friend has returned, he has someone to talk to, someone to help him, after being alone for a long period of time.
  
  Each initially regards Benjamin as an interloper, a newbie, something they have to tolerate. He has led a sheltered life and he seems to regard the potential for danger as a new and thrilling chance to do something exciting with his life.
  
  I have never been a huge fan of Richard Gere. But with his last few films, he is growing on me. In "The Hoax" he played Clifford Irving, a complex character and actually did a very good job. He was able to make his version of this real life person real to me. Now with his role in "The Hunting Party", he goes two for two. As we watch Simon, we get a real sense of his character's complete life. There is a brief segment at the beginning of the film, narrated by Duck, giving us an overview of their relationship to the point when he has his breakdown on national TV. As he does his live report, we see the pain in his eyes from all of the horror he has witnessed. Even though we have just seen brief snippets, we understand how he could have this breakdown. As soon as he and Duck are reunited, a wash of relief crosses his face. After five years of covering stories alone, in horrible war zones, he finally has a familiar and friendly face to deal with, a companion.
  
  Then, when he announces his plan to Duck and Benjamin, we understand why he would consider such a deadly thing. He needs the money, he needs the excitement, and he needs the camaraderie. It is a nice turn from Gere.
  
  Terrence Howard is also very good. From the opening frames, it is his voice narrating the moments we watch from their friendship. His lighthearted tone reveals a lot about how they really need each other.
  
  Then, when Duck and Simon reunite in Sarajevo, Duck has become comfortable, but bored in his cushy job. As Simon reveals his plans, Duck is, at first, incredulous, but quickly jumps on board. He even goes so far as to postpone his meeting with a beautiful girl in Greece, a trip planned for after the coverage of the festivities in Sarajevo. The prospect of spending time with his friend, spending time alluding danger, is more attractive to him than spending time in Greece with a beautiful woman.
  
  As Benjamin, Jesse Eisenberg is able to portray the new kid, adding an additional level to the relationship between the three men. Everything happening to them happens through his eyes for the first time. He is amazed, shocked, scared and overjoyed to be living this adventure. He doesn't hesitate to mention he earned a degree from Harvard, which is also his battle cry for adventure. His life has been so sheltered, for so long he needs this to really come alive.
  
  "Hunting" is funny and also an adventure. There are moments of ridiculous behavior and some very funny dialogue as the characters deal with all of the madness surrounding them. It is a dark comedy, which means there are also moments of seriousness, drama and danger. Combined together, they create a very interesting, watch able film. A much better film than the trailer would lead you to believe.
  
  
  

• One of the best films- that went unoticed!!!!!

  
  By A1AFLCLUNRKAW4 on 2007-12-26
  The Hunting Party staring Richard Gere and terrence Howard is perhaps one of the best films of 2007 released in the Fall of 2007 this film was released in limited release in New York and Los Angeles. Then due to dismal performance it was only released to other cities in very limited release. So why is the Hunting Party suck a great film you ask. the reason great plot, actors, story and as much Dark Humor that will make you fall out of your seat. Based on a Esquire article by Journalist Scott Anderson, the article What I did on my Summer Vacation is about Five journalist who reunite Five years after the Bosnian war and decide to look for a war criminal. The film follows a similar plot. In the Film which is told through the perspective of a war camera man called Duck played by perhaps one of best actors of this generation Terrence Howard, he is now a assist to a high level Tv correspondent for a big news channel but longs for his crazy days covering the war in Bosnia with a now out casted Journalist Simon Hunt (Gere) while in Bosnia Simon and Duck reunite to find a war criminal called the fox, along with the help of a 1970's yellow Mercedes and a young Journalist in training who is also the son of a network Benjamin played by Jesse Eisenberg. One of the reasons for the films lackluster attendance was the films finite trailer and what it leaves out the film does have a plot besides the whole wild single men that the poster tries to sell you. As you watch the film you learn that Hunt is looking for the Fox because he killed his pregnant girlfriend a women from a Bosnian village also that everyone thinks they are CIA, and the wackiness that follows. What is so great is the films ability to funny, sad, and ridiculous all at the same time, even the films credits will shock you this film is not to be missed. Also the cameo by Diane Kruger known for her work in the National Treasure films shows her versatility as an actress in a short scene.
  
  

• Urban myths can make interesting movies

  
  By A3NH7PYU4AD5GA on 2008-01-28
  All big conflicts and unresolved situations are a fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Usually one or the other urban myth will be planted on top of the most daring theories. Prime example that comes to mind are the 9/11 explanations involving Mossad/Pentagon/CIA plus the fable that x-thousand Jews did not go to work on that day, which many good Muslims actually believe. As I know first hand, i.e. this is not an urban myth now.
  One conspiracy theory has it that Karadjic, the Bosnian Serb, who is one of the hottest refugees from international justice, resigned his leadership in a deal with the US/UN which promised him that they would not come after him. The urban myth garnishing this theory, and which forms the basis of this film script, is, that K. actually did get caught and then killed by Bosnian Muslims rather than put up for show like Milosevic. Who knows.
  The movie is worth watching, whether one wants to belief the story or not. Gere and Howard are doing a great job as pair of war correspondents with different positions on their career path trajectory(G down, H up). The plot is interesting enough, the story is based on the two guys' hare-brained plan to interview K., who is here called something else, but played by a look-alike. The script is not perfect, it stutters and stumbles, but it carries.
  Recommendable.
  
  
  

• Another ridiculous Hollywood portrayal of a war they do not understand....

  
  By A2D4FEXPNTNENK on 2008-02-04
  Aside from the heinous acting and predictability of this movie, the story is flimsy and you absolutely hate the weakling main characters of the movie. They are journalists who know nothing about the conflict but are out there for their own greed, trying to "catch the big story". They are always speaking of the innocent Muslims - the Muslims who are setting up an Islamic state in EUROPE and used the war as a jihad-training ground against the West. Any Eastern European will tell you that the Muslims are the absolute scum of the Earth, as will any sane person that has had to deal with them first-hand. Do not listen to this movie or movies like it that truly have no clue what kind of people they are complimenting or villifying.
  
  
• Ugggg..
  By A16F69US7QZJBF on 2008-02-10
  I just finished this movie. It totally blew. Don't waste your time. And oh, yeah, filled with leftist propaganda...
  
  
• I didn't think I would enjoy this film, but...
  By A1KCQPLDB2FWGN on 2008-01-05
  This film is so much better than it looks. It immediately captures your attention, and doesn't let go until the credits. It takes a serious subject and addresses it in a light, comical, but also very respectful way. Give it a chance.
  
  
• Underated Film
  By A1HKIB98J8QPBC on 2008-01-23
  Never even heard of this movie and just happened across it. So glad I did! I loved the story of two war hardened (one disgraced) journalists who team up once again to hunt one of the Bosian war's most sadistic criminals. Based on the true story of five newsmen, I thought the script was clever, the story was satisfying and the chemistry between actors was equally as good. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good adventure tale including a look back at a war most Americans remember little about.
  
  
• It's still hunting for something
  By A1RNMPOY4XIAA8 on 2008-02-06
  The Hunting Party is a cold, disjointed film that seems to be hunting desperately for a genre to fit into.
  
  
  The Hunting Party is based on a true story about three journalists (played by Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, and ) who go on a mission to interview and capture one of the most wanted war criminals in the world--the Fox. True story films usually seem to command a degree of respect, because as we watch it we know some or all of it happened to a certain degree. Despite opening with the line "Only the most ridiculous parts of this movie are true." I could not respect this film.
  
  
  There were so many problems on so many levels I was left dumbfounded. The characters are underdeveloped, distant and impossible to relate to. The decisions they make seem almost trying to make us dislike them. The pacing and flow of the film was disorganized, chopped-up, and confusing. The entire film seemed to be random scenes of a true story tacked together to produce a story and Terrence Howard's calming narration added to the beginning and end to smooth it out and connect it. It seemed like it was trying to be an intense thriller, a true story about impossible odds, as well as a melodrama of two men who worked together and their experiences.
  
  
  Unfortunately Gere's and Howard's talented performances were wasted in this messy mechanical, melodramatic film. I love true stories, but not all true stories were meant to be turned into films.
  
  
  
• The atrocities and politics of war!
  By A2QDPJRVXL7P4F on 2008-03-21
  This is a movie based on the true story of how three journalists (they were five in real life) tracked down one of Slobodan Milosevic's generals--a wanted war criminal by the name of `The Fox'.
  
  I think a brief history is necessary in order to understand the movie and the atrocities of war. Slobodan Milosevic served as the President of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000. He also led Serbia's Socialist Party from its foundation in 1990. During the Serbian war, Milosevic ordered a program of ethnic cleansing of the Kosovo Albanians that drove hundreds of thousands of them into neighboring countries as refugees. Women were raped then murdered, and children were slaughtered.
  
  Milosevic was arrested by Serbian authorities in 2001 on suspicion of corruption, abuse of power, and embezzlement. However, the initial investigation into Milosevic faltered for lack of hard evidence prompting the Serbian Prime Minister to send him to The Hague to stand trial on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
  
  The trial began in February 2002 but experienced numerous delays because of the poor health of Milosevic, who served as his own defense lawyer. On March 11, 2006, he was found dead in his prison cell. It is believed that he died of a heart attack.
  
  Milosevic's right hand man, known as `The Fox', and the subject of this film, was at the time the most wanted man by the UN and the United States. However, no effort was done to capture him, as shown in this movie. His whereabouts were known by both the UN and the United States, but it was believed that a secret agreement was drawn between `The Fox' and the CIA that guaranteed his freedom.
  
  Simon (played by Richard Gere) is an award winning journalist whose Albanian girlfriend is raped and killed by the armies of `The Fox'. He vows revenge. After the war in the Balkans is over, he returns to Sarajevo to find `The Fox'. Together with two other journalists (there were five in real life) he tracks down `The Fox', captures him while he was hunting foxes, and delivers him to the Muslim village where his girlfriend was brutally murdered. The Muslims, recognizing `The Fox', beat him to death. So the legend says.
  
  You will be left with one important question at the end of this movie. Does the US know the whereabouts of War criminals but does nothing about it in order to further its own agenda?
  
  This is a great movie. Since many of us (unfortunately) do not read books, but rather prefer watching movies, it is important for film makers to make movies based on true stories. This movie will reveal the atrocities and politics of war. In war, there is no such thing as the good side: All sides are evil. The innocent suffer for the foolish ambitions of the few!
  
  
• Gritty Journalism
  By A21B2TJBWCSK1R on 2008-01-25
  The Hunting Party harkens back to a trend in the 1980s of films about journalists in war-torn Third World countries: Under Fire, The Killing Fields, and Salvador (Special Edition). These films featured flawed reporters putting their lives on the line for hard-hitting truths and righteous causes. In the 1990s, this trend seemed to fade with a few notable exceptions like The Insider but now The Hunting Party attempts to revive this type of film for our politically charged times.
  
  For two thirds of The Hunting Party, director Richard Shepard (The Matador (Widescreen Edition)) maintains a tense mood while injecting moments of comedy as the protagonists get closer to the Fox and find themselves, rather frighteningly, at his mercy. However, for the last third, they turn the tables on their prey. The film ends on a wonderfully cheeky note with an epilogue that lets us know what was based on fact and what was made up. Most importantly, The Hunting Party asks questions like why are notorious war criminals in Bosnia have not been caught and with apparently very little to no effort? The audience is left to ponder the answer.
  
  There is an audio commentary with writer/director Richard Shepard. He points out that they actually shot on location in Croatia and Bosnia. In the film's opening battle scenes, Gere and Howard did their own stunts (including being precarious close to real explosions). It was important for him to shoot on location because he wanted the cast and crew to see the places where the actual events took place. Shepard delivers an engaging, chatty track that is entertaining and informative.
  
  Also included are six deleted scenes with optional commentary by Shepard. There is an extension of a scene where we learn how Duck got his nickname. There is a nice scene where our three protagonists discuss a conspiracy theory about the Fox. Shepard is fairly candid about why this footage was cut and laments the removal of some of it.
  
  "Making The Hunting Party" features Shepard talking about how he wanted to make a film in a post-war city and first considered Baghdad but read a story in Esquire magazine about a group of journalists' search for a Bosnian war criminal and that inspired him to dramatize the story in a film.
  
  "The Real Hunting Party" features Shepard interviewing two of the journalists - John Falk and Scott Anderson - included in the Esquire article that inspired the film for 30 minutes. The two reporters talk about the actual events and come across (not surprisingly) as very personable and natural storytellers.
  
  "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" is the actual Esquire article and is a real nice touch that they included it on the DVD as you can now read the source material.
  
  Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.
  
  
• Gere Hits Again
  By A2MNMZMM6BGLTA on 2008-01-26
  Richard Gere has had two really good movie this past year. One was The Hoax, which I recommend and the other, this movie, The Hunting Party. The subject is really interesting and the acting was very good too. I enjoyed every bit of this movie. It also has many funny moments in it though it is a very intense and serious subject.
  
  I recommend it to everybody.
  
  
• What a Surprise
  By A6Y9HUOD59XNK on 2008-02-13
  Great film that didn't get the acknowledgment it deserved. Witty writing and great satirical humor.
  
  
• Finally a great role for Richard Gere!!!
  By A1TSIKH06EVZQH on 2008-02-25
  Don't get me wrong, I am a very faithful fan of Richard Gere and I probably own all of his movies. But this film fits him perfectly. You truly forget how sexy he is and see him as the good actor he really is...!
  
  Terrence Howard is an excellent addition to the cast with his great performance, but Jesse Eisenberg is the one that truly surpised me and that I really enjoyed in this movie because he was the one that lightened up the hard content of such a harsh subject matter.
  
  This is a great action movie that leaves you with a lot to think about how human can be so evil and how others just don't want to see the facts (or simply don't care). But thankfully, you also have the ones that do care and hunt these evil persons which makes it somewhat more bearable. The hunt is difficult and can be very tricky for simple reporters with no weapons to match these evil beings but revenge is sweet at the end.....!
  
  
  
• Engaging Film....
  By A3AOKQCH0YBZDS on 2008-03-10
  Must say that this movie was better then expected.... Take one fallen field journalist named, Simon, whom use to be at the top of his game and his trusty cameraman, named Duck. Both were known to be the best field journalist & cameraman out there working in the field---- That is until Simon screws up royally on live television essentially ruining his career. Simon get canned and Duck gets promoted.
  
  Simon & Duck cross paths again five years later in their old stomping grounds in Bosnia, where they both once worked together covering the events of the Bosnian war. Simon claims to know where "The Fox" is hiding. "The Fox" is being sought after for punishment of war crimes he committed during the Bosnian War.
  
  Together Simon, Duck, and Benjamin, a newbie to the news world out to make his mark as a journalist, set out to find and capture "The Fox" and bring him to justice and receive the $5 million dollar reward.
  
  This movie is supposedly based on a true story. It is well acted by both Terrence Howard & Richard Gere.
  
  
  
  
• Hunting Party
  By A628MNN7066JS on 2008-04-16
  Es una buena pelicula ,aunque no lo que uno espera de ella ,esta bien logrado el mensaje ,aunque cruel porque en realidad cosas como estas ocurrieron y ocurren en la actualidad ,las actuaciones tan buenas como lo usual para la calidad de estos dos grandes actores,necesitarian una mejor trama,para mi es una buena,porque muestra lo dura y arriesgada que es la vida de los periodistas y lo dificil que es tratar de decir la verdad cuando lo que se trata de decir es algo para llamar la atencion del televidente y no lo que se debe expresar en realidad.
  
  
• GREAT Movie
  By A6R550VDAFFUC on 2008-05-26
  After watching hours of mindless dribble, it was refreshing to come across a movie that was not only engaging, it was well acted and it actually had a good plot. I loved it! If you enjoy a good adventure with a little bit of comedy weaved through it you won't be disappointed. For mature, thinking audiences, worth watching.
  
  
• Yet another anti-Serbian propaganda movie
  By A28JLC7HIJVYJT on 2008-08-07
  This is just another crap movie by poor hollywood directors who create a so called movie about a war that their know nothing about or all they know is what been shown on political (white house controlled) tv stations like almighty CNN and BBC.
  Joseph Goebbels of Hitler's Germany looks like an amature when it comes to CNN and BBC and.
  Unfotunatelly most of regular americans are so dumb that they belive anything they see on TV and accept as the only "truth" not taking the view from the "accused" side.
  
  Well, let me tell you that I spent 4 years of war in Bosnia and I have seen atrocities from all sides involved in that war. I have seen Serbian women and children killed and raped by muslims. 10,000 Serbs are either killed or missing in Sarajevo alone but no Western Media will show that.
  Well this so called movie does not tell that story becuase Serbs are labeled in the muslim and Western media as the aggressors of their own land Bosnia where they lived for centuries, and are labeled as the only killers in that war. Muslims, who are actually America's biggest enemy (not to mention that Osama Bin Laden was at the Sarajevo Airport in 2002)are shown as innocent victims in this movie.
  You may ask why is this so that only Serbs are shown as the bad guys. Well the answer is simple. America is the strongest nation in the world and they decide who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. But why Serbs? Why Serbs who have always been America's allied in both WW1 and WW2 while muslims and Croats were collaborating with Germany and Hitler. Well bosnian muslims (former Serbs, that converted to islam during Ottoman Empire) are strongly supported by rich Middle Eastern Islamic Fundamentalist such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE and so on. THeir goal is to create an Islamic country in Europe and then spread further. Unfortunatelly America does not have friends or enemies. It only has interests. And their interest is cheaper oil reserves from Islamic countries and in return it has to protect muslims in Bosnia.
  I am not saying that Serbs did not do any crimes but so did the muslims and the croats but you will never see such a Movie in Hollywood!
  
  
• Hunting Party DVD Movie
  By A3F4TWIIAD2CIW on 2008-08-10
  Great & important movie! Karadzic is now being tried for genocide; otherwise, this story is right out of Balkan headlines. Rates triple A+++++!!
  
  
• This says too much about right now
  By A1HO8PD2Z8ZZWW on 2008-08-17
  The movie is in the same class as 'Zodiac' in that it uses real events and people, keeps up the suspense and, in the end, gets one sooooo very angry at a system that knows what to do, what is right, and doesn't follow through allowing people to get away with murder. 'Hunting Party' is actually almost unbelievable but at the end, you learn the truth of a number of the actual people in the movie. Also Gere does such a good job with what happens when a journalist can no longer be simply a reporter.
  
  

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