Fog of War: Lazy, Hazy WWII Mystery Makes Little Use of John Cusack and Mira Sorvino

By John Kirk

Rating: C

Despite the presence and performances of the likes of Mira Sorvino and John Cusack, Fog of War fails to deliver what it promises: a war-time mystery filled with suspense and intrigue.

Given all that’s wrong with the film, what’s really disappointing is the overwhelming number of hints that spoil the mystery. The plot-signaling makes Fog of War a film that compels you to fast-forward button to the end just to see if your guess was right. (Spoiler alert: It was).

Jake Abel, John Cusack and Brianna Hildebrand in Fog of War

The story: US Air Force pilot Gene Lewis (Jake Abel) is shot down over Germany in 1944. Wounded, he somehow manages to escape capture and is sent back to the States for recovery and a joyous reunion with his fiancée, OSS Operative, Penny Duncolm (Brianna Hildebrand).

Gene is informed by his superiors that the plans for Operation Overlord have been intercepted by Nazi agents in the U.S., and his fiancée’s uncle and aunt are suspected of involvement. They stay with her Uncle Bob (Cusack) and Aunt Maude (Sorvino), Penny’s surrogate parents on their extensive property on the coast along with their Belgian refugee friend, Viktor (Géza Röhrig). Gene must keep this to himself as he secretly begins to investigate Penny’s family.

The first problem with this film is the small cast. A reduced list of suspects doesn’t leave a lot of room for mystery. Even with the various attempts to throw doubt on Viktor, Bob & Maude or even the State Police, when it comes down to it. A limited range of choices validates suspicions from the beginning. When the mystery is resolved, it’s not exactly a surprise.

But there are also frequent superfluous story flaws that interfere with the enjoyment of the film. These include meaningless deaths that reduce the character roster even further, the mention of the fog at the beginning of the story that seems to bode ill in some way that never manifests itself, and characters who magically manage to appear in different places without explanation.

The fact that Gene, who is not an intelligence operative, is involved in this investigation simply because of his association with Penny is also a flimsy premise.

There’s a noticeable imbalance in the screen-time of both Sorvino and Cusack. They appear in the beginning and end of the film, but are strangely absent in the middle. It’s an odd (and possibly budget-driven) choice not to include the two most recognizable cast members but it’s also annoying because their characters are arguably the most interesting ones in the story. In comparison, Gene and Penny are remarkably simple by nature and their motivations easily understood.

Why John Cusack is never seen without his hat is also a minor oddity in the film.

The location of Bob and Maude’s property isn’t specifically named. It’s captioned and referred to some place “up North”. Given that the audience learns this in reference to the hospital in Pennsylvania where Gene is recovering, we can only assume the location to be in Maine, or New Hampshire or New York. This ambiguity is sloppy and also frustrating. Given that Gene and Penny take a train to Boston, it’s a good guess it’s somewhere around coastal Massachusetts. The fact that has to be deduced and not named outright may seem a petty criticism, but a good story needs an identifiable setting.

Fog of War has too many hints. Without giving them away, we learn too much about the few members of the cast that immediately allows the audience to identify who can be trusted and who can’t. The red herrings that are thrown into the story to distract from the real culprits amount to clumsy storytelling that gets in the way of the film’s enjoyability.

Good fiction requires the suspension of disbelief. It’s a convention that that the audience willingly engages in to allow the story to carry forward. But the story has to make sense, especially in mysteries and thrillers.

Fog of War. Directed by Michael Day, written by Luke Langsdale. Stars Mira Sorvino, John Cusack, Brianna Hildebrand, Jake Abel, Geza Rohrigs. Available on streaming platforms and VOD April 11.