In “5 Days of War” Renny Harlin tells the story of an American journalist Thomas Anders (Rupert Friend) who joins forces with his cameraman to document the Georgian native (Emmanuelle Chriqui) during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Through its emotional storytelling the film presents real-life stories showing how people overcome suffering during the tragic events.
Michael Watson skillfully portrays real war experiences in his cinematographic work by masterfully mixing a sense of immediate danger with psychological depth. Throughout the movie Harlin drives the story at breakneck speed but sometimes it falls prey to stock dramatic situations. The emotional significance in this story rises up because of the haunting music composition by Klaus Badelt. Despite a range of character development in the story the acting performances from Friend and Chriqui powerfully show war’s personal effects but some roles remain shallow.
This film serves as an emotional storyline that demonstrates how people display their inner resilience in troubled times through elements that explore both heroic actions alongside media professionals’ ethical questions as well as the friendships created during times of national crisis. The numerous flaws in “5 Days of War” do not obstruct its ability to touch viewers deeply because it makes them face how conflict affects media and humanity in a polarized world.
