Thank You for Your Service
Blu-ray
Review by Kam Williams
Vets
Readjust to Civilian Life in Docudrama Based on Wounded Warrior
Memoir
In
the spring of 2007, the Washington Post's David Finkel accompanied a
combat team of American infantrymen deployed to Baghdad at the start
of the controversial surge ordered by President Bush. After being
embedded for a year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter chronicled
the intrepid GIs' heroic efforts to bring stability to the region in
a riveting best seller entitled "The Good Soldiers."
In
2013, Finkel published "Thank You for Your Service," an
update about the same troops' struggle to readjust to civilian life
upon returning to the States. Now, that opus has been adapted to the
big screen as a psychological drama telescoping tightly on the mental
state of a few members of the battalion.
The
movie marks the impressive directorial debut of Jason Hall, who's
previously best known for writing and appearing in American Sniper
(2014). The picture stars Miles Teller as Adam Schumann, a former
sergeant ostensibly suffering from PTSD.
As
the film unfolds, we learn that he has remained close with surviving
members of the tight-knit unit once under his command. Unfortunately,
all of them have been left damaged, mentally and/or physically.
Consequently, all of their relationships are in crisis, and none has
managed to hold down a steady job.
Adam's
worried wife (Haley Bennett) starts pressuring him to get help
because he not only dropped their newborn baby inexplicably, but he's
constantly looking for IEDs whenever they drive down the street, as
if he's still in Iraq. Trouble is, there's a nine-month waiting list
to see a shrink at the VA hospital, and he's being discouraged from
seeking treatment by a callous colonel (Jake Weber) suggesting that
all he needs to do is toughen up a little.
Then,
there's Solo (Beulah Koale), a Samoan with amnesia whose fed up wife
(Keisha Castle-Hughes) is thinking of leaving him, despite being
pregnant. Another buddy, Will (Joe Cole), was dumped by his fiancee
(Erin Darke) before he even arrived home. And so forth.
The
plot soon thickens, with things getting worse before they get better.
But at least this loyal band of brothers can count on each other, if
not the VA or their loved ones for support. A heartbreaking tale
that's difficult to swallow since its based purely on the hard, cold
truth.
A
sobering account of our wounded warriors' tragic misfortunes.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, drug use, graphic violence, brief nudity and pervasive profanity
In
English and Samoan with subtitles
Running
time: 109 minutes
Distributor:
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack
Extras: Staging a War; and The Battle at Home.
To see a trailer for Thank You for Your Service, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LQGcb5knE
To order
Thank
You for Your Service in Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack format ,
visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment