The Siege of Jadotville Netflix Movie Review

The Siege of Jadotville (2016)

The Siege of Jadotville - A solid war movie.

Watch The Siege of Jadotville on Netflix
Written by: Kevin Brodbin, Declan Power (based on the novel by)
Directed by: Richie Smyth
Starring: Jamie Dornan, Jason O'Mara, Mark Strong 
Rated: TV-MA

Plot:
A historical drama based on the true story of an Irish commander and his troops besieged and outnumbered by Congolese troops in 1961.

Verdict:
The field of war movies is vast, and while this doesn't stand out, it's still a solid movie. It invokes all the best tropes of war movies, the stalwart captain, unwinnable odds, ignorant politicians, and a government that wants to sweep it under the rug.  Despite the limited budget, the action scenes are credible, and Dornan provides a noble hero.
Watch it.

Review:
This isn't the greatest war movie ever, and it doesn't try to be. It's solid and entertaining, if a bit uneven. The action scenes stretch the limited budget far.

The Irish army under the United Nations goes to the Congo to protect the indigenous people from a prime minister who usurped power. The people don't want them there, and there is a French mercenary army protecting the mines.

Diplomat O'Brien (Mark Strong from Kingsman: The Secret Service) dismisses Quinlan's (Jamie Dornan from 50 Shades of Black) concerns that an attack is imminent. The movie shows us a few family life scenes with Quinlan, but it's a feeble attempt to make us care about him with a couple of perfunctory scenes. What makes this character credible is his prowess on the battlefield. The movie had previously set up a scene where the Irish army was mocked for never having been in war. This was the scene that showed us who Quinlan is.

This is a really neat story, and the movie doesn't quite do it justice. It's hard to do an underdog story when we've seen it so many times, but this is a good effort. It's an unwinnable battle. They are outnumbered facing a large army and their only ally is an academic diplomat who is trying to play it safe. We and they know they can't win, but that won't stop them from trying.

Despite happening in 1961, these soldiers weren't honored by Ireland until 2005. At the time, the politicians wanted to sweep everything under the rug.