No Greater Love (2017)

Excellent adaptation.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Blistering performances.

I saw this intriguing documentary at the Louisiana International Film Festival wondering why something like this wasn't shown on a broader scale. This documentary illustrated how the war for some US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan doesn't end just because they finish their tour and come back home. This film displays the war from the view of an Army chaplain (Justin Roberts) and his men while fighting in actual combat and it shows what life is like for some of the soldiers when they get back home. Justin Roberts, a new chaplain, is deployed with the 2/327th Infantry Regiment, known as "No Slack", to Kunar Province in Afghanistan. According to Justin, he wasn't able to carry a weapon so he asked if could carry a camera instead and they told him, "Sure, just don't get shot!" so he started taking pictures and videos of his soldiers in Afghanistan to send to their loved ones via Facebook so they can see how they were doing then he decided to put some of those pictures and videos together with other pictures and videos during his tour to make a documentary. The soldiers documented in this film tell of the heartaches they endured on the battle field and how it affects their lives off of the battle field. This documentary is an extraordinary piece of work that has to be seen by any, every, and all red blooded Americans who care. It's gripping and it lets you know what's really going on with some of the people who fought to protect this country.

My wife and I watched a screening of No Greater Love last night. It is well made. The interviews of the soldiers during and post combat were powerful. I am not sure how this chaplain got permission to take a camera into combat, but he did. It can be difficult to watch but please do. The bravery and sacrifice by these men and women are a true inspiration. As one officer said of the sacrifice of one of his soldiers, "where do men like this come from?" They come from homes across this nation, every color, and from many different faith backgrounds. The closing scenes of the reunion back at Fort Campbell were perfect. Well done, Chaplain.

So I was lucky enough to watch the advance screening of this movie and I have to say I was not disappointed in the slightest. I myself am in the Canadian military and this movie really show a true and unique aspect to what life is like on deployment. it doesn't sugar-coat things and it tells you the honest truth of what its like. This movie does overlap with the movie "Hornet's Nest" at parts a little bit but it was still excellent. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone with an interest in military life, or the general idea of it. This isn't exactly an "action movie". I'd categorize it more as an action drama. Sort of like Zero Dark Thirty (2012), but documentary style, and no Hollywood B.S. Watching this movie really shines some perspective on what people go through.

By far one of the best war documentaries I have ever seen. Every American should watch this to even begin to grasp what our soldiers go through, from the day to day operations to the tragedies they endure. The storyline is excellent and the way the movie dives into specific occurrences throughout the deployment keeps you interested and engaged throughout the film. Raw footage is what makes this documentary so special. While films like Restrepo and Korengal are a couple that I have always felt really portrayed the war, No Greater Love comes in right there with them. Excellent doesn't even begin to describe this film nor do it justice.I hope to see this on the big screen later this year.