5 Days of War

(MA 15+) Anchor Bay DVD/BD

Based on actual events during the Russian invasion of Georgiain 2008, 5 Days of War follows a hardened journalist (Rupert Friend) and his media colleagues (Val Kilmer, Richard Coyle) as they risk their lives to tell the real story against the odds of global disinterest.

The journalist’s quest to transmit damming footage out from behind enemy lines interlinks with a local family’s plight, including a woman (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who begins to soften his reluctance to form attachments.

Director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) admirably draws attention to the oft-forgotten conflict — albeit within the hefty restrictions of action thriller conventions. The human drama often plays second fiddle to special effects and the film would also benefit from fewer false endings.

Nonetheless, 5 Days of War does touch on important themes.

Lyndal Irons