"Only the most ridiculous parts are true," say the words at the start of the Bosnian adventure The Hunting Party. That sums up what's wrong with this picture. If the film had kept the faith with its source material, everything in it would be ridiculous and true, and exhilarating.
Instead of embracing the real-life absurdity of Scott Anderson's October 2000 Esquire article, titled "What I Did on My Summer Vacation," the film's writer-director, Richard Shepard, transforms it into a quasi-tough, semifacetious redemption saga.
The Hunting Party (Weinstein Co.) Starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard. Directed by Richard Shepard. Rated R. Time 106 minutes.
Online
Watch a preview of Hunting Party at baltimoresun.com/hunting