War Machine is Brad Pitt's return to our screens following a hiatus, which resulted from the breakdown of his high-profile marriage to Angelina Jolie.
Pitt plays the lead role in the feature film that has been two years in the making and hotly anticipated by film fans globally.
So, did he and his crew nail it or was it a flop? Reaction has been mixed since the small-screen film dropped on the popular streaming website late on Friday (UAE time).
Netflix was strangely protective of advance screenings for press ahead of its release, but of course the Twitterati and Facebook communities were on hand to provide an immediate honest opinion.
There was plenty of love apparent for the movie, Twitter user @AngusTPaterson posted: “Watching #WarMachine on #netflix it’s absurdist to the max & also depressingly accurate”. @OfficallyEmz was in agreeance: “#Warmachine I absolutely loved it. Brad Pitt was brilliant as always, loved @PoulterWill and @KolaBokinni in it.”
Entertainment website @Collider was brief in its initial assessment posting: “@Netflix’s #WarMachine is “frequently hilarious” and intelligent”, they noted on Twitter, a fan it seems just like fellow website @Premscene who tweeted: “Totally #recommend @NetflixUK #Warmachine #BradPitt is as sublime as he ever was. #NetflixFriday #film #storytelling #mustse,” they tweeted.
Not everyone was convinced however, some saying it lacked "killer instinct", while others declared it "disappointing". Facebook user, Meranda Parada Limperis wasn't impressed: "Worst movie I have ever seen ... if it was a big budget flick, it would probably have tanked Pitt's career!" The New York Times though declared that "at its best, War Machine crackles with irreverent wit, even if American political craziness circa 2009 looks tame compared with the 2017 version".
The review goes on to refer to Pitt and his return to our screens as "engaging and complicated — somehow recalling both the wily and ruthless Aldo Raine of Inglourious Basterds and the lethally stupid Chad Feldheimer of Burn After Reading".
While it is still early days, and the featured UAE extras will no doubt have something to say about it, remember if you don’t want to take the social media or film reviewers word for it, it’s on Netflix for your perusal now.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
