PREMIERE'S REVIEW (posted 9/7/07)

Though the idea of Richard Gere playing a mentally imbalanced, disgraced journalist in post-war Bosnia may strike some as a tedious proposition, The Hunting Party turns out to be surprisingly good. Gere plays Simon Hunt, an award-winning TV news reporter who has a Network-style breakdown after witnessing a horrific act on assignment. Five years after the war, the burned-out Hunt conceives of an outlandish scheme to capture Bosnia's most wanted war criminal: he convinces his veteran cameraman, Duck (Terrence Howard) to join him for the ultimate scoop. What follows is a strange road trip fueled by moments of dark humor, sadness, and joy.

Based on an Esquire magazine article written by Scott K. Anderson, The Hunting Party is based on Anderson's trip to Sarajevo five years after the war. He discovered that the international community had made no effort to catch the region's treacherous war criminals. The film replaces the article's real team of journalists for dramatic effect, and Shepard narrows the focus to each man's personal quest for redemption.

The film successfully balances often competing tones into one cohesive storyline, resulting in a combination of drama, comedy, and adventure that has an almost amusement-park-ride feel without mocking some of its more serious themes. Director Shepard's omission of over-the-top bloodbaths and carnage also aids in this deft balancing act. Small but impressive performances from an international supporting cast pop up throughout, most notably Nitin Ganatra as a policeman working in Sarajevo who steals scenes armed only with pinpoint comic timing and a box of Dunkin' Donuts.

The film was shot on location in Sarajevo and Croatia, and cinematographer David Tattersall's (Green Mile, Matador) work here, particularly the war scenes, is beautifully executed throughout and provides the film with stunning visual authenticity.

And despite the somewhat weak execution of the film's final message (that perhaps the international community is somehow complicit in war crimes), its effort to heighten audience awareness of the issues is admirable and ultimately entertaining.

— Marilyn Smith