‘Nobody gives you a medal when you do it right, they just demote you when you do it wrong...’
Guantanamo Bay has proven a rich seam to mine for directors everywhere. The Mauritanian is probably the most successful example of this, but there are others available also – from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again. Camp X-Ray is not as good as The Mauritanian, but it does explore a fresh angle on Gitmo that hasn’t been explored before…
Cole (Kristen Stewart) is a small-town girl assigned to Guantanamo Bay as her first military posting. Following a gruelling training program, Cole strikes up an unlikely friendship with Ali (Payman Maadi), a philosophical detainee.
Whilst there are other characters, most notably John Carroll Lynch’s grumpy commanding officer and Lane Garrison’s insidious soldier Ransdell, this is essentially a two-hander between Stewart and Maadi – both of whom are excellent. Kristen Stewart is not only an interesting actor, she is an interesting actor who consistently challenges herself in interesting movies. Cole is another classic Stewart creation. Subdued and quiet sure, but with plenty of nuances and subtle emotion when called for. Gitmo itself is not the hellscape we are used to. There is no heavy metal pumping through the speakers, no physical torture to speak of. Just ordinary men in humdrum cells living out pointless lives. Director Peter Sattler, working from his own script, plays into this mundanity, and this makes the shocking moments even more jarring.
Ultimately, Camp X-Ray didn’t make much of a splash upon release, but it is worth seeking out for another top-class Stewart performance and for a unique spin on a familiar tale.