5/5 Basra: Front Line and Aftermath
  by Johns (London, England)
A somewhat slow moving at times, but always gripping film depicting the lives of British troops in Basra, Iraq, 2003. There's a statement saying it's fictional, but inspired by real events. I remember at the time that all this was going on that the British media stated that the British troops were conducting a more sensitive operation, winning over "hearts and minds", instead of adopting an apparently more crass approach, like America reportedly was. The truth emerged later, following publication of unpleasant souvenir photos featuring British soldiers and Iraqis, plus video footage showing an incident of British soldiers assaulting Iraqi civilians.

Excellent acting and script; a disturbing, but enlightening film.

5/5 This apple doesn't spoil...
  by R. Link (Los Angeles, CA USA)
This is an excellent fiction film about torture in Iraq. Shane Gulliver and Mark Tate are stationed in Basra. When their company's captain is killed during a mission, they capture two alleged suspects and are told to use whatever means necessary to extract information (i.e. torture). This film captures the difficult task of maintaining a personal code of ethics inside a powerful organization like the military. With the success of docs like 'Taxi to the Dark Side' and 'Standard Operating Procedure', hopefully this film will continue to spotlight the military's blatant disregard for the standards of the Geneva Convention. The cinematography is haunting and the acting noteworthy, definitely deserving of the BAFTA award it won this year.