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You know those movies that you don’t exactly know how to take when you’re watching it? That is exactly how “Buffalo Soldiers” is. I had no idea what it was about, so naturally thought it was a drama. It turns out to be something much different, to my pleasant surprise.
It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Elwood, a convicted felon who was given two choices: either spend six months in prison, or three years in the army. He chose the latter, thinking anything would be better than prison, but definitely begins to reconsider his thoughts. By then, however it’s too late. He serves as battalion clerk under Colonel Berman (Ed Harris), and basically has the colonel wrapped around his thumb.
Elwood is somehow able to run a highly successful drug business (buying and selling paraphernalia on and off the black market) and still keep it rather secret under the circumstances.
Like me, you probably won’t know how to take the quirky dialogue that is mixed in with a violent story. You have to look at this like it is “Fargo”. Both are thrillers (and somewhat dramas), but both can be hilarious. The joy of watching “Buffalo Soldiers” is that it lets you decide weather that sentence or that action was funny. It doesn’t blatantly point it out to you.
When a new Top (Scott Glenn) is assigned to Elwood’s quarters, his time in fancy land is pretty much over. However, things get even more interesting when the Top’s daughter (Anna Paquin) and Elwood hit it off and begin a somewhat secret relationship. Funny? Yes, it is quite funny. Elwood says one to many smart-alecky remarks, and the new Top (a Vietnam vet) doesn’t exactly like smart-alecks.
“Buffalo Soldiers” has been compared to the likes of Quentin Tarantino’s work. Although it is a very good film, it isn’t that good. Tarantino is to dark thriller comedies as Francis Ford Coppola is to mafia films. Both are like the definitive leaders in that genre.
Always toying with your mind, “Buffalo Soldiers” is often very funny and also rather easy to follow. *** ½