If you have a kid that is thinking about joining the Army and becoming a GI, I suggest that you show him the first 30 minutes of this film to find out whether or not he is serious. In Saving Private Ryan, a group of American soldiers goes deep into Nazi held France in an attempt to bring home a GI who has already lost three brothers in the war. This is a really good movie, with one of the most intense opening sequences that I have ever seen. When I first saw the film, I thought I wanted to enlist...now I review movies. The cast of Saving Private Ryan is unreal. Tom Hanks is amazing as the seasoned leader of the band, but he is just the tip of the iceberg. This incredible ensemble includes actors ranging from young and relevant starts such as Giovanni Ribisi, Barry Pepper and Vin Diesel to classic faces from the big screen like Edward Burns, Paul Giamatti and Ted Danson. For me, the best performance in the film comes from Matt Damon, who plays Ryan. The range of emotions he goes through in learning of his brothers' deaths, understanding what those who came to rescue him sacrificed, and his decision to stay with his unit are all very tangible. As always, Damon is amazing. This film is really well directed (Spielberg), and does an excellent job of relating World War II in what seems to be a very realistic manner. Unlike most war films, Saving Private Ryan has very human heroes that travel the extremes of the emotional spectrum, from paralyzing fear to the unbridled joy of simply being alive. My wife did not watch the movie with me; I do not think she would have liked it all that much, simply based on the very realistic violence. Hearing dying American boys crying out for their mothers is difficult for anyone to watch. Nonetheless, I would absolutely recommend this film to anyone interested in WWII; in terms of recent war movies, it is one of the best. I give Saving Private Ryan 4 stars.
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