Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Based on the memoir of American war reporter Kim Barker, this dramedy from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa sees a professionally dissatisfied news producer (Tina Fey) sent to Afghanistan, after being identified as one of her team's only "childless personnel". Arriving in Kabul, she's inducted into the precarious, hard-partying expat lifestyle by a fellow journalist (Margot Robbie). It's rare to see a war story told from a female perspective - our heroine battles both the machismo of the armed forces and oppressive local attitudes. If Kim feels substantially drawn thanks to Fey's sterling work and the unwavering focus, it's disconcerting that the most prominent Afghan characters are played by westerners (Christopher Abbott and Alfred Molina), while Martin Freeman's love interest and Robbie's rival feel ill-established, undermining the impact of key scenes. Screenwriter Robert Carlock takes aim at the cynicism of modern news output, but it never feels sufficiently scathing, and the trite conclusions don't help; in this and its compromised casting, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot comes across as a touch cowardly for a film that's all about taking the plunge.