Triage (2009)

52% of users liked it
(1,454 ratings)

A man bearing the unseen scars of war struggles to recover amidst a family in chaos in this drama from writer and director Danis Tanovic. Mark Walsh (Colin Farrell) is a photojournalist who has earned a reputation for working in some of the most unforgiving locations on Earth, so when his editor Amy… More A man bearing the unseen scars of war struggles to recover amidst a family in chaos in this drama from writer and director Danis Tanovic. Mark Walsh (Colin Farrell) is a photojournalist who has earned a reputation for working in some of the most unforgiving locations on Earth, so when his editor Amy (Juliet Stevenson) asks him to cover the fighting in Kurdistan, Mark takes the assignment and thinks little of it, though his wife Elena (Paz Vega) is considerably more concerned. Mark and his friend and fellow photographer David (Jamie Sives) head off to the war full of confidence, but when Mark comes home alone after being separated from David, he seems like a different person, gaunt and unable to relax. Elena can't get Mark to talk about what he saw that left him so traumatized, so she invites her father Joaquin (Christopher Lee), a veteran psychoanalyst with military experience, for a visit to see if he can help. But as Joaquin struggles to get Mark to open up, the father's presence ignites an old conflict between him and Elena; the doctor was a supporter of Franco during the Spanish Civil War and served under the dictator's regime, and Elena has never been able to forgive him for his actions against the Spanish loyalists. Triage was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: Danis Tanovic
Written By: Danis Tanovic
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2009 Limited
On DVD: Aug 10, 2010
Studio: NEM

Critic Reviews

Brian Orndorf, DVDTalk.com
It's a film to admire from afar, taking on the challenge of depicting war zone trauma, but it rarely connects in any sort of profound manner.
Dan Lybarger, MovieMaker Magazine
It's the 88-year-old Christopher Lee's juiciest role in ages, and watching him play off with Farrell is easily worth enduring the shortcomings in 'Triage.'
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
...the central character's journey, while metaphorically rich in an obvious way, lacks some credence when all is said and done...Branko Djuric's Talzani could carry his own whole film

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

WELL...a Colin Farrel film that I really, really liked. I have never been a big fan of his, but he did a wonderful job in this movie. Powerful, profoundly moving film. Difficult to watch at times, but worthwhile with an award level performance from Colin Farrell. He is supported by an… More
WELL...a Colin Farrel film that I really, really liked. I have never been a big fan of his, but he did a wonderful job in this movie. Powerful, profoundly moving film. Difficult to watch at times, but worthwhile with an award level performance from Colin Farrell. He is supported by an outstanding cast. Christopher Lee is of particular note..he was extremely well casted in this. But the films impact depends on Colin, and he reveals what a truly great actor he can be when liberated from action movie hell. Well directed, and thoughtful.
Jake .

You know, I like Colin Farrell a lot, but he really doesn't seem to have found the most extraordinary work lately. Triage is absolutely forgettable and it doesn't appear that London Boulevard will be much better... (especially considering the release has been delayed over a… More
You know, I like Colin Farrell a lot, but he really doesn't seem to have found the most extraordinary work lately. Triage is absolutely forgettable and it doesn't appear that London Boulevard will be much better... (especially considering the release has been delayed over a year) That being said, Triage is not bad, but like stated before, it's forgettable. There really is not anything special about it. The one thing that really sticks out are the "artsy" bits. The photography and even the way everything else was shot is beautiful and/or repulsive at times. The rest of the material has potential, but it just never picks up steam. The story never really goes anywhere and while the characters are interesting broken people, they just have nowhere to go. So, honestly, it's not terrible, but I sort of regret having watched the film. It just feels like it was a waste of time.
familiar s

While this war drama was predictable, it still kept me interested in it due to its excellent execution. Great performances by the actors involved added icing on the cake. However, this won't be everyone's cup of tea.
jay n

Powerful, profoundly moving film, difficult to watch at times but worthwhile with an award level performance from Colin Farrell. He is supported by an outstanding cast, Christopher Lee is of particular note, but the film's impact depends on Colin and he reveals what a truly great… More
Powerful, profoundly moving film, difficult to watch at times but worthwhile with an award level performance from Colin Farrell. He is supported by an outstanding cast, Christopher Lee is of particular note, but the film's impact depends on Colin and he reveals what a truly great actor he can be when liberated from action movie hell. Well directed and thoughtful. See it!
Deb S

Mark Walsh (Colin Farrell) and his buddy David (Jamie Sives) are army photographers for a newspaper whose current assignment is in war torn Kurdistan. Whilst there they are witness to the terrifying realities of war but when an explosion occurs and Mark is seriously injured he… More
Mark Walsh (Colin Farrell) and his buddy David (Jamie Sives) are army photographers for a newspaper whose current assignment is in war torn Kurdistan. Whilst there they are witness to the terrifying realities of war but when an explosion occurs and Mark is seriously injured he returns home to his beautiful wife Elena played by Paz Vega leaving David behind. His wife is concerned as she watches Mark struggling to readjust and enlists the help of her "fascist" grandfather Joaquin, played by Christopher Lee, a psychiatrist who once treated war criminals. A chilling tale of the post trauma stress experienced by soldiers and others who witness something beyond their mind's comprehension, it is hard not to become emotionally effected by this film after watching it!
Jim W

I'm not sure why Triage wasn't seen by more critics, because it's easily one of the best from last year. Colin Farrell stars as Mark Walsh, a photojournalist who's sent to Kurdistan, but comes back without his partner David (Jamie Sives). Mark is scarred and… More
I'm not sure why Triage wasn't seen by more critics, because it's easily one of the best from last year. Colin Farrell stars as Mark Walsh, a photojournalist who's sent to Kurdistan, but comes back without his partner David (Jamie Sives). Mark is scarred and can barely walk since he was injured there. He's also distant with his wife, played by Paz Vega and she feels that he's also scarred mentally. Mark says David left days before he did, but David has yet to returned, is there more to the story than Mark is telling ? Vega asks her grandfather (Christopher Lee) for help, who helped purify war criminals, which is why she's not too close to him. Since she's all he has left, he helps Mark not only to help Mark but to earn forgiveness from his granddaughter. While getting Mark to talk about his history as a photojournalist, Lee is out to get him to talk about David and whether or not he's really on his way home to his pregnant wife (Kelly Reilly). Farrell is excellent and has best film roles, which is why this film should have been released to larger audiences. Christopher Lee, however simply should have been nominated. He has a dark past and as his character explains...he can still smile. He's not a vampire, he's not an evil Jedi or an evil wizard he's simply a shrink for bad people and it's a nice change to see a human side to him. He makes this some-what dark and gloomy movie more interesting.
Jonny C

Well told war drama starring Colin Farrell. Triage is an unsettling tale of a war journalist, who struggles with the horrors he experiences during a recent assignment. I liked the directors authentic direction and his believable script. The performances were all solid, except for… More
Well told war drama starring Colin Farrell. Triage is an unsettling tale of a war journalist, who struggles with the horrors he experiences during a recent assignment. I liked the directors authentic direction and his believable script. The performances were all solid, except for Christopher Lee's, it was exceptional. Overall, worth checking out.