Though director Lance Hool lacks the visual imagination historical epics demand, he manages the basics of relating a stirring, true-life anti-war tale that contrasts the quixotic nature of heroism with the practical side of patriotism. Set in the 1840s, the film examines the consequences of the US Army's practice of importing and training Irishmen fleeing the potato famine to fill the ranks of troops waging war with Mexico. Known as the Saint Patrick's Brigade or San Patricians, the Irish expatriates fought bravely for a cause in which they had no personal stake. Having distinguished himself for Uncle Sam, Sgt. John Riley (Tom Berenger) feels torn between duty to his...