Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Stars: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman
Duration: 102 mins
Class: 15
KRS Film Releasing Ltd
It’s common for comedians to want to venture into dramatic territory every so often in order to stretch their performance muscles and work outside their comfort zone. So, it’s no surprise to see American comic stalwart Tina Fey, as she segues into movies following her smash TV comedy hit 30 Rock, taking on the lead role in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, nor is it hard to see what she saw in the material.
The film is based on The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the memoirs of Kim Barker. Barker was a TV news producer thrust suddenly from the safety of her tiny cubicle into the theatre of war, with little – or rather, no – experience in war reporting to count on and no time to learn.
Barker’s book was acclaimed by critics, with the New York Times describing it as “hilarious and harrowing, witty and illuminating”.
It was not long before Fey turned to her friend and co-30 Rock writer Robert Carlock, to adapt the book for the screen, where she would star in this fish-out-of-water tale of a woman finding her way in Kabul, one of the world’s most dangerous zones, and succeeding beyond even her wildest expectations.
It is safe to describe Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which is military code for the letters WTF, as a comedy-drama. I am desperately trying to avoid using the word dramedy, which I loathe. The balance is tipped more towards the comedy than the drama.
The film is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who, like Fey, hail from a comedy background. To their credit, they never bite off more than they can chew, focusing instead on the personal journey undertaken by its protagonist as she progresses from awkward naïve newbie (complete with bright orange rucksack, blithely unaware of the dangers that it poses) to an experienced journalist who becomes perilously close to being addicted to the job. The two directors imbue that journey with pathos, heart and humour, much of which is as biting as it is funny.
The action is peppered with some genuinely dramatic actions scenes of tension-filled army patrols
The script does not delve into the complex geopolitics at the heart of the issue, yet it assumes that the audience is savvy enough to know enough about the backdrop of the region. The action is peppered with some genuinely dramatic actions scenes of tension-filled army patrols, roadside bombings, drone attacks and the like, to properly set the context. Full marks also for expertly recreating the strangely-intimate world – nicknamed the Kabubble – inhabited by these journalists, where they let off steam via some booming sex, drug and rock ’n’ roll-fuelled parties as a way to forget the hazards of the day job. Here, they form no-strings-attached bonds, both physical and emotional; bonds that are as tenuous as they are artificial.
Fey clearly has dramatic chops in her, deftly juggling both comic and dramatic sides of the story. In her hands, Barker comes across as woman with a winning personality and a fearless nature, while having the nous to understand the hazards that come with the job.
Slowly, she becomes as valid as her more experienced peers. Barker ended up spending more than three years in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of note is Fey’s portrayal of Barker’s exponential growth as she becomes more confident in her role and makes that transition believable.
She quickly grasps the Afghani way of life, be it that of ordinary citizens trying to get on with life, of the corrupt politicians craving power or the mere fact that, as a woman, she is automatically viewed with suspicion.
Fey certainly brings her trademark wit and jocularity to the table. Yet, she never lets it get in the way of the dramatic and all-too-real situation she is in.
The film surrounds Fey with a solid supporting cast, an ensemble of characters important to Barker’s experience. Margot Robbie brings pizzazz and sophistication to the role of celebrated war journalist Tanya Vanderpoel, enough to be an obvious contrast to Barker’s initial bumblings, until she becomes a worthy colleague/adversary.
Martin Freeman stars as the cocky and charming veteran photojournalist Iain MacKelpie, with whom she inadvisedly becomes romantically entangled, while developing a sincere friendship with local ‘fixer’ Fahim Ahmadzai (Christopher Abbott).
Bringing up the rear is military leader Colonel Walter Hollanek (Billy Bob Thornton), whose grudging respect Kim quickly earns.