Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Based loosely on the events journalist Kim Barker experienced in Afghanistan here’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot; the story of Kim Baker (Tina Fey) and her warp speed progression from a desk bound copy editor in New York, to war correspondent in the midst of chaos. Befriended by fellow journalist Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie), Kim has a lot of learning to do if she’s ever going to succeed. Meanwhile, she also happens to be the apple of the eye for both Iain MacKelpie (Martin Freeman) and Ali Massoud Sadiq (Alfred Molina). But, leveraging politics and work is always a tricky balance. Will she cut the mustard?
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa this moderately slow burn through three years in the Middle East works to balance comedy and drama in a way that doesn’t entirely meet the needs of the comedy seekers and fails to tell a compelling enough story for the drama fans. Meanwhile, from an acting standpoint, the ensemble seems to be a fair fit, it’s unfortunate they aren’t given richer material to work with. Maybe worthy of a matinee if you’re already caught up from Oscar season, otherwise this can wait to rent later. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is rated R.