Outpost
On 10/3/’09 the Battle of Kamdesh took place in Afghanistan near the border of Pakistan. Outpost Keating lay in a vulnerable spot, low ground that attracted regular enemy fire from the hills that surrounded it. Finally, just days before the base was to close, an estimated force of 400 Taliban launched an all out attack against that worthless piece of turf. Eight Americans were killed, 27 wounded. Four Afghani allies also were KIA. The tide turned when helicopters arrived and bombed the surrounding area. It is estimated that 150 of the enemy were sent to their graves. The battle is the basis of the film The Outpost (2020), directed by Paul Laurie, an Israeli in the midst of a solid career. Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson adapted the screenplay from the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper. Filmed in Bulgaria, it smacks of authenticity. The first hour or so is difficult, as it is rife with vulgarity and the troops are frequently at odds with each other. Somehow the rancor seems much more harsh than it does on Seal Team, my favorite show, whose license to use profanity, even in this permissive age, is severely limited by network guidelines. Perhaps that makes The Outpost more realistic. How would I know? I’ve never served. I simply reap the benefits provided by those who have. Once the fighting begins the soldiers unite and perform incredible acts of bravery to save each other. In viewing, given the intensity of incoming fire, it seems a miracle anyone survived. The action is as crisp as any ever depicted, reminiscent of Black Hawk Down (2001). The characters are interesting. In full combat gear and shaved heads, it is difficult to distinguish the players. I did not realize that Orlando Bloom was one of them until I researched the movie at IMDb. Scott Eastwood, Clint’s son, received top billing. Caleb Landry Jones is outstanding, as is Taylor John Smith as a Lieutenant forced to take command. Daniel Rodriguez, who took part in the battle, plays himself. Several men were were decorated for valor, including Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha, well-played by Eastwood. Is there an anti-war message at the heart of the narrative? I would say yes, but it isn’t belabored. Hopefully, other deployments in that backward country are not as questionable as this one. 16.000+ users at IMDb have rated The Outpost, forging to a consensus of 6.8 on a scale of ten. On a scale of five, I’ll go with 3.25. It failed at the box office, returning only $2+ million on a budget of $18 million. The running time is about two hours. Laurie has 19 titles under his name as director, mostly in TV, and eleven as writer. The only other of his works I’ve seen is the political drama The Contender (2000), starring Joan Allen and Gary Oldman, which I didn’t like. Here is Eastwood in character:
Here’s a fun story from Yahoo Sports, in my own words: yesterday Iowa was a 27.5 favorite against Southern U.. The score was 103–73 with the clock approaching zero. Brendan Brooks then let fly a why-not shot from just inside half court. It banked in, a thumb in the eye for all who had bet on the Hawkeyes to cover. That’s why they call it gambling.
After a slow start the floating book shop had a solid session, due largely to a woman who bought a bunch of YA fare. My thanks, and also to Monse`, who purchased The Karma of Cats: Spiritual Wisdom from Our Feline Friends by Various Authors; and to the gentleman who selected Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility; and to the one who chose four thick hardcovers in Russian that included a translation of Tom Clancy; and to the woman who insisted on paying for a book in Russian despite donating three. The law of attraction seems to be working except for my own books. Maybe tomorrow.
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