Shock and Awe (2017) Review

When a group of journalists from the Knight-Ridder news service who are covering President George W. Bush’s plans to invade Iraq in 2003 they are sceptical of the claims that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

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In 2001 when the World Trade Center was destroyed along with the attacks on the pentagon, 9/11 would become a world changing event with the terrorism it caused resulting in the war on Iraq. Show and Awe takes a look into the claims and quite frankly newspaper investigative report films are always very entertaining. This is something I have grown very fond of over the years as for whatever reason they feel fast paced and create high levels of suspense.

I now feel that not only are we going to have a lack of films like this with reporters who have uncovered the truth but due to the more online/digital media taking over newspapers the way reporting and headlines are broken is totally different. I am also a big fan of Rob Reiner directed films so this was a very different genre to what he usually does and to have him starring in the film as well was an added bonus.

Watching this film after the troops were withdrawn this year in Iraq probably made it more interesting to see this film now, considering the controversy that has always surrounded this war. That someone had to pay for the 9/11 attacks and this uncovers what was fact and fiction in starting that war. It must be excruciating to watch for the soldiers who were stationed and sent to Iraq as surely it makes no sense why you had to put your own life on the line!

The cast with Woody Harrelson and James Marsden in the more leading roles were a joy to watch together, with Tommy Lee Jones and Rob Reiner himself. Jessica Biel offering good support and the rest of the more background cast were also good with the main cast.