Step into the shoes of Chief Roy Miller, played by Matt Damon, an American soldier based in Iraq who has discovered a plot inside the American troop that seems to favour an Iraqi gang associated with the deceased Saddam Hussein.

Green Zone is a suspense-filled and violent thriller-drama (bit specific on genre? Nah!) based in Baghdad. There is a lot of fast-talk “and-the-plot-thickens” coming out of Miller and his C.I.A. associate Martin Brown played by our wonderful Brendan Gleeson throughout this film.

Some fierce to-ing and fro-ing also transpires between Miller, Brown and C.I.A. adversary Clark Poundstone performed by Greg Kinnear of As Good As It Gets and Little Miss Sunshine fame, even the name ensues hate in him, Poundstone: ya’d love to give this guy a pounding, the cunt.

As well as the tough man talk you’ll get some violent gunfire, atrocious Baghdad war scenes and an Insight into the mainframe of the American intelligence of Iraq. The non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City and its story is supported by a very strong aforementioned cast transpires in Green Zone.

Gleeson does a whopper Boston/New York accent and Kinnear plays an amazing antagonist within the C.I.A. – good cop, bad cop, right there, in that order! Damon adapts to his leading role very well, convincing us once again he is a true hardy, not so young anymore, buck.

Other roles such as Al-Rawi, the film’s true enemy, played by Yigal Naor, “Freddie” performed by Khalid Abdala and Lawrie Dayne political journalist in the form of Amy Ryan form a superb supporting cast in their enormously varying roles.

If you’re in anyway politically minded you’ll appreciate what this film attempts to do and certainly does well. If you’re a lad you’ll probably love the violence, are likely to warm to Damon’s ultimately alpha male role in this and perhaps consider signing up to the defence forces.

Of course if you are a female or gay you’ll enjoy the hunky manly manliness of Damon and coming from someone who was never really attracted to him or any of that tough guy mumbo jumbo that means a lot.

Emer Molloy