War Story (2014)
War Story (2014), directed by Mark Jackson, starring Catherine Keener and Hafsia Herzi.
score
Synopsis
Lee is a world-weary American woman who arrives in an Italian city. Her tangles with hotel staff, incessant smoking and her disregard of the persistently ringing telephone hint at her volatility brewing beneath the surface. Between fitful naps, she wanders the streets, snapping pictures of refugees as if her camera were both weapon and olive branch. Struggling to confront her demons, Lee resolves to help a beautiful young woman in need.
- Reed MoranoCinematography
- Mark JacksonDirector, Writer
- Amy LeeOriginal music
- Chuck PalmerOriginal music
About the film
War Story is a 2014 American drama film directed by Mark Jackson from a screenplay by Jackson and Kristin Gore. It stars Catherine Keener, Hafsia Herzi and Ben Kingsley. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, and later screened at 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Its music was composed by Amy Lee, Dave Eggar, and Chuck Palmer.
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War Story is a 2014 American drama film directed by Mark Jackson from a screenplay by Jackson and Kristin Gore. It stars Catherine Keener, Hafsia Herzi and Ben Kingsley. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, and later screened at 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Its music was composed by Amy Lee, Dave Eggar, and Chuck Palmer.
Premise
A war photographer, Lee goes to Sicily instead of going back home to New York City, to forget about being taken hostage in Libya. In Sicily, she crosses paths with her former lover and mentor Albert and tries to help Hafsia, a young Tunisian migrant, escape to France.
Cast
Catherine Keener as Lee
Hafsia Herzi as Hafsia
Ben Kingsley as Albert
Donatella Finocchiaro as Daria
Vincenzo Amato as Filippo
Music
Music for the film was composed by Amy Lee of rock band Evanescence, and Dave Eggar. The soundtrack album was released on August 25, 2014.
Reception
War Story received a mixed to negative response from critics, with a 47% rating on rotten tomatoes. Todd McCarthy in his review for The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, calling it "A compelling, beautifully filmed character study of a war zone photographer in personal turmoil." Mark Adams of Screen International praised the film by saying that it is "A dense and taut drama, a study on post-traumatic stress disorder that at its best is strikingly tense and heavy with sadness." Chris Michael in his review for The Guardian, gave the film three out of five stars and said that "Catherine Keener exudes dark anxiety in Mark Jackson's tale of the European immigrant experience." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Accolades
References
External links
War Story at IMDb
War Story at Rotten Tomatoes
Text from War Story (2014 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Story_(2014_film)
Trivia
- It premiered on January 19, 2014, a Sunday.
- It runs 1h30 — a typical feature length.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- LanguagesFrench, English, Italian
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Set in
- Sicily
Cast
-
Catherine Keener
Lee -
Hafsia Herzi
Hafsia -
Ben Kingsley
Albert -
Vincenzo Amato
Filippo -
Donatella Finocchiaro
Daria -
Guido Caprino
Doctor - Luana Toscano Maid
- Wejdi Trabelsi Tunisian Man
-
Rosario Petix
Cop #1 - Giuseppe Petix Cop #2
-
Loredana Marino
Nurse - Amalia Contarini Waitress
Quiz about this movie
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Crew
- Reed Morano Cinematography
- Mark Jackson Director
- Amy Lee Original music
- Chuck Palmer Original music
- Dave Eggar Original music
- Kristin Gore Writer
- Mark Jackson Writer
Questions about this film
What is War Story about?
War Story: Lee is a world-weary American woman who arrives in an Italian city. Her tangles with hotel staff, incessant smoking and her disregard of the persistently ringing telephone hint at her volatility brewing beneath the surface. Between fitful naps, she wanders the streets, snapping pictures of refugees as if her camera we…
Who directed War Story?
War Story was directed by Mark Jackson in 2014.
Who stars in War Story?
The cast of War Story includes Catherine Keener, Hafsia Herzi, Ben Kingsley, Vincenzo Amato and Donatella Finocchiaro.
How long is War Story?
War Story runs for 90 minutes, or 1h30.
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Page updated on 09/10/2026.
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