Countless war films have come and gone in the past months, and no one has really minded much. Most were slightly sloppy in their plots, but at least careful with their delivery. The same, however, cannot be said for the new “Harrison’s Flowers.” Calling its plot sloppy is a compliment, and the only thing careful about the film is its unlimited ability to leave us wondering “why?”

Andie MacDowell (“Town and Country”), who is never very impressive, was undoubtedly chosen for this role based on her ability to cry on demand and photograph well from behind a window (the majority of her screen time is spent in the front seat of a vehicle). She plays the wife of a Newsweek photojournalist who, while on assignment in Yugoslavia, reportedly becomes a causality of its war. MacDowell’s character, unable to come to grips with the potential death of her husband, sets out for the war-torn country with her camera, the belief her husband is still alive and her unadulterated stupidity.

This complete lack of common sense hinders the film because we are offered no explanation for anyone’s actions. Sure, she loves her lover, but with no true evidence of his existence, the violent war world (depicted with respectable realism and grittiness), and (most importantly) two children at home, we are left to wonder — why in the hell would she do this?

Similarly, the other photojournalists shown are merely two-dimensional soldiers in their own war — the fighting citizens of the country on one side and the camera-sporting fools on the other. Photojournalism is a noble and heroic line of work, especially in the time of war, but “Harrison’s Flowers” ignores the intriguing aspects of the occupation, like the motivation and the traumatic results. Instead, the men and women are depicted shooting Canons of their own sans explanation, leaving the audience to further scratch its collective head.

In the end, it presents difficult issues with little rationalization and fails to resolve a single one. The admirable and graphic representation of Yugoslavian battlefields is hardly a backdrop for the sappy romance “Harrison’s Flowers” tries to put forth. The poignant effect of the juxtaposition is lost on viewers who have nothing to hold on to or understand. The only thing we can relate to is the wartime feeling, but ours is more than a search for a missing husband set to the sounds of violins. Grade: D