New Film Review: Thank You For Your Service

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Directed by Jason Hall
Screenplay by Jason Hall
Based on the book by David Finkel
Starring Miles Teller; Haley Bennett; Beulah Koale; Keisha Castle-Hughes; and Amy Schumer



In this film we follow Adam Schuman (Teller) and Solo (Koale), two US soldier who have to figure out where they fit in the world while dealing with PTS now that they are home.

It is a difficult film to review.
It is a subject that should have a big spotlight and this film shines that light.
-How difficult it is for soldiers to assimilate back into society and their families lives after coming home.
-How difficult it is for soldiers to get help for PTS

So it is a important subject to bring to the forefront, but the story line here lacks ...momentum.
It seems as you watch you are watching for 105 minutes about two people struggle over and over and over and over again. It just not an attractive movie. Nothing is happening. Nothing is moving forward. It is true life for these soldiers I imagine but as a viewer...it sits there. It is not a bad film, like noted it is important, but it is just cold.
Plus the Director, Hall, made a...bad decision to not show us what happened to make these two soldiers struggle until the very end. Why? It would have given us as the viewer something to latch on to. To not only feel for, them which we already did, but have some emotion there also. I think it was a mistake.

Let me get positive here...
This film has some outstanding performances.
Yes Miles Teller is  really good here coming off a miscast performance in Only The Brave. but the star performance is by Beulah Koale as Solo. He is just fantastic. His is lost here, and often he is saying so much with a stare and look. You cheer for him and worry for him. His performance sucks you in.
Supporting these two leads are really good performances by Bennett (I want to see her in a lead role); Castle-Hughes (welcome Back); and Schumer (In a dramatic role), who play the confused suffering military brides.

A  true story that needs a spotlight. Well acted. Sadly it has no push to the story...so I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.