First of all, allow me to point you in the direction of this lazy review from The Guardian. "Are we reaching peak Afghan war film?", posits the first sentence of the article. The answer is a resounding NO. I am all for stopping the glut of World War II films coming out still 60 years on - I think we have enough non-fictional and fictional documentation of that dark time in humanity's history, thank you very much. However, when it comes to films that are about a reality going on at this very moment, there is never too much exposure about the loss of life which seems so far away and detached from us. This is what Tobias Lindholm's A War does - brings the effects of dirty, messy and distant war into the "homeland" (in this case, Denmark).

Pilou Asbæk teams back up again with Tobias Lindholm after their collaboration on A Hijacking. Asbæk is a tremendous actor, channelling hints of Michael Shannonesque levels of intensity in his performance. A strong lead is recommendable, if not necessary, for the portrayal of the protagonist in this ethically grey war drama. Tuva Novotny plays his wife back home with aplomb, living the struggles of a single parent taking care of three children. The crucial detail is the fact that the children know their father will be back, and so are that much more of a struggle to control. Essentially, there are two wars being fought in the film: the war of parenthood and, well, war.

The pacing of the film is remarkable, always engaging the audience when even very little is going on. One... not even problem I had, is that I wish I could have seen Lindholm direct even more action in the film, as he creates wonderfully spatially aware and simple visual storytelling in the midst of chaos. (Obviously, there was just the right amount of action in the film). This comes down to the cinema verité style in which the film is shot. Magnus Nordenhof Jonck, the DP on the film, uses natural light for the film, and a very clever and subtle trick when shooting action sequences: the camera is always hiding along with the soldiers when under fire. Rather than shooting wide when soldiers run briefly across open spaces vulnerable to enemy fire, the camera moves with them, placing the audience alongside the soldiers. A clever use of audio-clipping during loud moments also gives the impression of "amateur audio" like one would see in a documentary. In terms of audio, there is a soundtrack, though it fades in and out of the film very gently. It's a simple soundtrack but it, quite literally, hits the right notes at the right time.

The film takes a jarring turn halfway through when the action moves from Afghanistan to Denmark, and turns into a court case. The change of pacing and tone is contrary to basic rules of filmmaking, yet Lindholm uses it to great effect, showing that the transition of life from the frontlines to the safety of home (plus court case) is exactly that - jarring.

A War is a film that thankfully sidesteps the dumbed-down patriotism of Hollywood war films, as well as the complete lack of nuance. Instead, it's a microcosm of a film, dealing with interpersonal decisions amongst few characters to illuminate greater moral questions that everyone deals with to varying degrees.