Buffalo Soldiers

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Anna Paquin, Scott Gle
UK Certificate: 18

American soldiers. Simultaneously as scary and funny as being trapped inside a sack full of ferrets. If that appeals, you're onto a winner with this film.
Set during peacetime on a US Army base in Germany back in the'80s, Buffalo Soldiers focuses on Phoenix's character Ray Elwood, a dealer in all things black market - including heroin. However, Elwood's life of casual criminality is threatened when an uptight sergeant (Glenn) arrives at the base vowing to clean things up.
The results are just as you'd expect: plenty of one-upmanship, large-scale theft and practical jokes with bombs. Oh, and million in stolen guns that land in Elwood's lap. Talk about complicated.
Aside from that, Ed Harris is worth the price of admission alone. He drops the usual moodiness, transforming himself into a bumbling, emotional Colonel - the laughing stock of the base. And what's more, Anna Paquin (of X-Men 2 fame) is frequently seen in a swimsuit. Finding an American war film devoid of gung-ho patriotism is a rarity. Don't miss out.