338.Causeway; movie review

 

CAUSEWAY

Cert 15

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

If a soldier comes back home having suffered visible traumatic physical injury it must be bad enough.

But when the scars are mental and the injuries internal, empathy may be less easy to find and, as a result, rehabilitation may be even harder.

This is the fair presumption of Lila Neugebauer's critically acclaimed Causeway, starring the ever-brilliant Jennifer Lawrence.

She plays Lynsey who is first seen at a halfway house where a kindly soul (Jayne Houdyshell) provides accommodation and support as she relearns to walk and talk after being flown home from Afghanistan.

Her physical and mental strength help her overcome incredibly tough obstacles but she finds greater hurdles when she eventually returns to her hometown.

There she has to fit in with her flaky mom (Linda Emond), find herself work and, ultimately, try to persuade her doctor (Stephen McKinley) that she is fit to return to service.

Her journey is far from straightforward because her brain was affected by the incident in Afghanistan.

Lawrence excels as the young woman who knows what she needs to do but is deeply frustrated by her inabilities.

She even looks different in this film - strangely younger and somehow more vulnerable.

Brian Tyree Henry complements her splendidly by playing an easygoing car repair shop owner who ends up befriending her after an act of kindness.

The problem is that it is all so slow - consequently, we appreciated the performances but were not fully engaged with the storyline.

And that is a pity because there were important themes being addressed.

Reasons to watch: Top-notch from Jennifer Lawrence

Reasons to avoid: Ponderous

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? Although about 60 per cent of the American public have experienced one or more traumatic events, only around eight per cent suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives. For veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, the rate of PTSD ranges from 11 to 20 per cent.

The final word. Lila Neugebauer: "I had the opportunity while developing the script and then in prep while shooting and into post-production of consulting very extensively with the US Department of Veteran Affairs, medical experts in the field of traumatic brain injury, and veterans and service members. Those conversations were revelatory and hugely informative to the development of this script. The film wouldn’t exist without them." Flickering Myth

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