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I just saw this gem at an indie theatre. Films of the subject of Iraq keep getting more powerful.

To be honest, I was thinking of giving it only 4 stars for the reason I've considered that for some other documentaries: they tend to lose track of the fallacies by which we entered Iraq by getting embedded in the discussion of how it should have been better planned. But I'm thinking now that those initial issues have been addressed before, now it's time to move onto something else and this work of art does so.

This is an important documentary because those doing the speaking are mid-level bureaucrats with the federal government. So you're getting the story "straight from the horse's mouth" (or mouths)....or as close to it as we'll ever get, at least.

The film begins with the history of the Iraq situation. That's covered succintly, leaving nothing out. Then there's one boondoggle after the other; Rumsfeld talking with the press, saying that they keep covering the negative, while the camera and narrative switch to what's really going on, troops dead, Paul Bremer doing some more ridiculous things, more insurgents doing all the more damage. The decision to disband the Iraqi army, and put half a million trained soldiers out of work in their own country when they knew where all their armament and weaponry was stored will follow these idiots into history as one of the biggest blunders in military planning history. Any idiot can tell u that this was going to lead to the kind of nightmarish violence we are seeing on TV every night.

The troops haven't been protected with adequate armor, there aren't enough of them to cover the arsenals of weapons from which the insurgents--many of whom are fired Bathist intelligentsia and Iraqi military--are getting their weapons. The list goes on and on and on.

The film is very well crafted, in that things keep getting worse. And the reason they keep getting worse is singulary this administrations' blunders--which themselves keep getting worse!

There is much discussion of Bushie insiders--almost none of whom have ANY experience in the middle east, and who have NO military experience--who made decisions as if the military didn't exist. Yes, the filmmakers talked with many military figures too, including colonels and generals (some of whom said that, if they'd have been listened to, they'd have insisted that the decision makers heed their calls).

At a rare amusing point, those interviewed refer to the "pretty boys," i.e., the recent college graduates who've been given major positions in the Iraqi govenment with no applicable experience. In one instance, a Georgetown professor refers to one of his recent students whom he ran into in Baghdad. He asked her what she's doing there and she said, she can't believe her luck. She's responsible for setting up traffic control in Baghdad. The professor asked her if she has any experience or training in urban planning or anything remotely applicable to the position, and she answered in the negative--this while there are scenes of Baghdad traffic problems enough to make you laugh. (The commentor said simply that, "Daddy made a campaign contribution, so sonny (or daughter) gets a major job in Iraq."

Get everyone you can to see this fine film. They may be chuckling in some places, sobbing in others. But that's the price one pays for a fine, fine documentary.

Trailers for No End in Sight promised a comprehensive exploration of why the post-Iraq War strategy (or lack thereof) has failed thus far, plunging the war-torn nation into a seemingly unending cycle of chaos and sectarianism. The actual film, however, paints a decidedly incomplete portrait of what exactly the problems are. The faults with this documentary are obvious: It emphasizes somewhat unknown and occasionally trivial facts of the war and glosses over hugely important details to construct a rather one-sided argument. It never mentions the bombing of the golden mosque in Sumarra, for instance, which was a major catalyst for an enormous wave of sectarian killings. And though it talks about the Mahdi army, the most powerful Shiite insurgent group, never once is Prime Minister Kuri al-Maliki's name mentioned in the movie; his fierce reluctance to reign in the militia is a huge reason they have such overwhelming power in the region. One can only assume that the reason these seemingly obvious reference points in post-Iraq War history are never brought up is because to do so would be to imply that the Iraqis themselves share in some of the blame for the decay of their country, a fact that the filmmaker would probably never acknowledge.
If it isn't blatantly obvious to you at this point that the Iraq War was a mistake, then you are a blind fool, and probably won't see this movie anyway. However, for those that do go in expecting to discover what really went wrong with the country in the wake of its destruction, what you'll find instead is a major indictment of American procedures, and nothing more...an unfinished work of partisanship and painstaking editing.

Good documentary all people should see. Aimed at the government officials to see what went wrong with the "core" of the war, but still entertaining for us citizens too

No End in Sight blisteringly critiques the G.W. Bush administration's planning and subsequent execution of the Iraq invasion and occupation that began in early 2003. Critics of this film dwell on its attention to common knowledge of past mistakes rather than looking forward toward possible solutions; No End outlines step by step policy decisions that prevented the Iraqi people's ability to continue life with a sense of normalcy, inevitably resulting in the formation of an insurgency. Their point seems moot to me. While much of the film's information is available to the dedicated and curious researcher (read: concerned citizen), the vast majority of Americans recieve only the polished rhetoric (advocating both left and right view) of the mainstream media via Fox News, CNN and the like. Such depictions repeat oft heard talking points such as, "Fight them there," or "Bush lied," while failing to link crucial information in to an intellectually digestable sequence. No End accomplishes this daunting task in an infuriating way. This film is not for the faint of heart or the politically naive. Only those who are concerned with the future of this country and to a greater extent, the future of humanity should watch this illuminating examination of a bureaucratic war machine.

Everyone in America should see this film. Hell, everyone everywhere should see this film - just so the rest of the world can see that not *all* Americans are the idiots we appear to be...

I don't read the paper or watch the news as often as I should, and seeing films like this almost inspire a tinge of guilt for not being more informed. But the beauty of these films is that they are intended to inform; that's the purpose they serve. They hold a light into the nest of capitalist vipers so that we can see our so-called leaders as they truly are.

Absolutely compelling documentary. This subject has been attacked a million times in movies, documentaries, tv, and the news and I didn't think I could get into this or even care as I am sick of it. But it so well done here and fact based that I was compelled to watch it.

Another great doc about our country's worst scandal.

What's good:
It's nonpartisan-based. Most interviewees are people who were actually in Iraq, revealing all the things that went wrong. There's only a few minutes of Dubya, so you don't have to listen to his crap.

What's bad:
It's probably nothing you haven't already read or heard about. But who cares... it summarizes everything nicely in 100 minutes.

NO END IN SIGHT
Directed by Charles Ferguson
Not Rated

Shocking, indendiary documentary that tracks the lead up to and mishandling of the Iraq war by the American government through interviews with government insiders and soldiers. A stinging indictment of good intentions and personal interests that led to disaster and chaos. A film every American should see.

Some quick reviews of movies I either saw a long time ago or don't feel like writing a full review for.

NO END IN SIGHT B+

Very good documentary. The direction and footage is terrific and it really gets its point across about subjects that you don't necessarily already know about. However, it isn't as engaging as last year's Deliver Us From Evil or 2005's Murderball.

MR. BROOKS B -

For some reason, I was curious to see this, and it was nothing like what I expected. I pictured Mr. Brooks as a movie that I would think of as generic and unoriginal but it's the exact opposite. It's too ambitious in its subplots and plot twists that it becomes muddled and overlong. At it's core, Costner and Hurt portray two very intriguing characters (or one) but it's just all over the place. However, it kept me interested with it's unpredictability.

SUNSHINE A -

I saw this over the summer but never wrote a review. Danny Boyle shows off his directing range with a sci-fi space thriller. The visuals are amazing, and there are some very cool Boyle-esque touches. 2001: A Space Odyssey was obviously an influence here, and seeing how I think that that is one of the best movies of all-time, that's a plus. I thought it was engaging and risky and definately a breath of fresh air. I

This is how documentaries SHOULD me made.

Just the facts. Let the witnesses speak for themselves.

Some day, the Bush League will have to answer for this fiasco in Iraq.

May they rot in hell.