The eyes are the window to the soul. You need to look no further than the eyes of Officer Roy Miller to discover just how true this statement is. From the day-to-day struggles of surviving in Iraq to his frustration with his own involvement in the war, Miller’s eyes are the key to his emotions and transport audiences from a dimly light movie theater to the very real conflict in the Middle East in Paul Greengrass’ thriller, “Green Zone.”

Audiences meet Miller on the streets of Iraq as he prepares to find Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. Risking his own safety, he and a group of fellow soldiers invade deserted buildings and warehouses but have no luck in actually uncovering the artillery.

Miller quickly realizes that failed intelligence is to blame and goes against the military status quo by doubting the government officials in charge of the war including Pentagon intelligence officer Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) and CIA official Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson). He also questions The Wall Street Journal journalist Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan) who published incorrect information about the weapons in Iraq.

Ripped from the headlines of 2003, these characters will be sure to remind viewers of their real-life counterparts during the Bush Administration as the filmmakers tried to stay true to history without naming names. Dayne is most reminiscent of Judith Miller, the former New York Times journalist who was criticized for her coverage of the war while Poundstone will likely conjure images of Donald Rumsfeld.

It’s not only the so close to real-life characters that bring a sense of authenticity to the film, Greengrass also used military veterans returning from tours in Iraq or Afghanistan instead of extras in many scenes. The filmmakers were able to make a realistic looking Middle East in “Green Zone” even while filming in Morocco and Spain.

One of the filmmakers’ biggest successes was their ability to put viewers in the middle of the action. Greengrass and cinematographer, Barry Ackroyd, who also worked on the Academy Award winner “The Hurt Locker,” make audiences feel like a fly on the wall during each moment of discord, angst, and brutality.

These moments are brought to life with the thought-provoking performance of Matt Damon as Roy Miller. He plays the character with a blend of intellect and courage. Damon’s facial expressions are the audiences’ key to understanding his character’s feelings about the difficult decisions that he is forced to make on a daily basis while in the combat zone. This role proves once again that Damon is an impressive leading man especially when directed by Greengrass, who also worked with him on the “Bourne” trilogy.

A cast of strong actors also surrounds Damon. Kinnear gives a believable and at times intense performance as Poundstone. He last worked with Damon while playing the very different role of Walt Tenor in the Farrelly comedy, “Stuck on You.” Ryan plays Lawrie Dayne with a mix of poise and underlying fear that her own secrets will be discovered.

Yet, Miller’s complex character and the strong political messages are what set this movie apart from other thrillers. The film has all the ingredients of your typical action of film but is set in a country in the middle of turmoil and political arrest. “Green Zone” focuses on the tense relationships between American soldiers and the people of Iraq while also looking at the politics in Washington at the beginning of the war. Greengrass stayed true to historical accounts of the war and used Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s book, Imperial Life in the Emerald City as inspiration for the film.

This is not the first time that Greengrass has pointed his camera lens at political issues. Previously, he has worked on “United 93” which tells the story of a September 11 plane hijacking and “Blood Sunday” which recounts an Irish civil rights protest and the subsequent massacre in 1972.

You cannot discuss “Green Zone” without mentioning the special effects. From massive explosions to helicopter crashes, it’s hard to turn away from the screen. However, at times, these massive action sequences seem to take away from the deeper meaning of the movie.

This film’s political messages and complex characters bring an unexpected depth that is not often found in action movies. In fact, if you were able to strip away all of the special effects, this is truly a story of a man who fights do the right thing against extraordinary odds and that is simply compelling enough to watch.