The Objective Reaches its Goal

Afghanistan, November 2001. Two months after the attacks on the World Trade Center. A highly trained Special Forces team is sent into the Afghanistan desert to make contact with a man known as "Mohammed Aban". Instead they find something else...something that even their elite training hasn't prepared them for.

From the acclaimed director of The Blair Witch Project, The Objective, follows Ben Keynes (Jonas Ball), a CIA operative allegedly sent to pave the way for success in the war in Afghanistan. Part covert military operation, part personal journey, Ben leads his assigned team into one of the most uninhabitable and isolated regions on the planet.

As the situation rapidly begins to disintegrate, each member of the team finds themselves asking the same question: Who is the real enemy (Traileraddict)?

Rating: Restricted for violence, some gore, and language.

Release Date: April 24, 2008.

Starring: Jonas Ball, Matthew R. Anderson, Jon Huertas, Michael C. Williams, Sam Hunter, Jeff Prewett, Kenny Taylor, and Chems-Eddine Zinoune.

Director: Daniel Myrick.

Writer(s): Daniel Myrick, and Mark A. Patton.

"The Objective," is a film from director Daniel Myrick, the creator of "The Blair Witch Project," and the story of supernatural goings on in the Afghanistan desert is original while the characterizations and setting add believability. The mostly amateur cast of actors portray an elite special-operation unit sent to reconnoitre a radiation signal in the middle of Taliban occupied Afghanistan. Jonas Ball as Benjamin Keynes and Matthew R. Anderson as Warrant Officer Wally Hamer particularly stand out in their acting ability and their conflicting personalities create believability in the story. As well, the appearance of locals, wearing authentic Afghanistan, tribal clothing delivers contrast to a mostly western cast. The long shots of deserts, mountain ranges and local villages create a visually spectacular environment that heightens the realism of the story. Medium shots of the caravan moving into valleys with heat waves hovering above the ground stand out as especially brilliant to watch.


The plot develops linearly and although the source of the mystical desert disturbance seems strange and unlikely the story develops at a moderate pace without any major plot holes. "The Objective," feels similar to other films like "Heart of Darkness," or Coppola's version "Apocalypse Now," with several European explorers delving into the heart of an ancient, mostly unknown culture. However, within "The Objective," the bloodshed is kept to a minimal in order to focus primarily on the mysteries residing in the Afghanistan desert. The only minor drawback to the storytelling of the picture is in the ending that while spiritual in nature is left with an open conclusion for to viewers to interpret; although, hinting at the outcome of Jonas Ball's character, the supernatural theme, that acts as an undercurrent to the entire film does open up more questions than answers in the final act. While the ending might disappoint some viewers the story is constantly pushing towards a climactic revelation, which delivers director Daniel Myrick somewhat subtle message effectively. Sometimes other cultures require appreciation, investigation rather than simply death, destruction and annhiliation.

The lighting in the film changes from very bright daylight shots to almost complete darkness during many of the encounters with the strange glowing force in the desert. Director Myrick adds blue lighting, and sometimes orange to some early village scenes that alludes to the western character's transition from reality to a more supernatural environment. The use of early morning lighting hints at the approach of dawn and demonstrates the director's ability for fluid time changes. Several dark action sequences add contrast to a mostly bright film. As well, the bright orbs that make their appearance randomly throughout the movie intensify the visual experience of the film and heighten the suspense. The final encounter between the main character and the "Vermonas," is shot in almost complete bright light and while overwhelming at first the lighting ends the film with a flourish.

Director Myrick uses a lot of close-up shots to show the character's expressions while adding long and medium shots to highlight the beauty of the Moroccan deserts. Morocco, from a viewer's perspective effectively portrays the landscape of Afghanistan while Myrick's quick scene changes slightly distracts from the appreciation of the film. Myrick does not hint at scene changes, instead the camera quickly moves from character to character and scene to scene with little transition. Fading in and out with blackness or unfocusing the camera to indicate a scene change would have made the film more watchable. However, Myrick uses night vision cameras and steady revolving shots to create an interesting cinemascape that grounds the viewer in the very dry desert world of Afghanistan. Finally, the use of a shaky camera to tell the story, similar to the style in "The Blair Witch Project," puts the viewer in the middle of the action, but at times the technique comes across as amateurish. Apparently shooting in the desert with a low budget does not allow for steadi-cams or tracking shots; yet, none of these directing techniques detract overly from the viewing of the film.

"The Objective," is one of the best supernatural stories to come out of 2008 and the moderate pacing of the film along with a climactic ending make "The Objective," a very enjoyable film watch. Mostly staying in line with the thriller genre with some gory bits thrown in this film will likely entertain even the most die-hard horror film fans. Check this one out on DVD as "The Objective," is unlikely to receive a North American film release date.

7 Laughing Skulls out of 10

A trailer for "The Objective," here:



Sources:

The Objective at Traileraddict

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