- Actors: Kate Mara, Shia LaBeouf, Jai Courtney, Gary Oldman, Clifton Collins Jr.
- Director: Dito Montiel
- Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region A/1
- Rated: R
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- Release Date: March 7, 2017
- Run Time: 90 minutes
I am typically
quite adamant about not including any spoilers in my reviews of films, but I’m
afraid that the only way to truly point out what is wrong with Man Down is by revealing the truth about
the largest twist in the narrative. This revelation is also the only way to
convey the main theme and apparent point of the story, which remains hidden by
a silly and convoluted mystery for much of the run time. Even simply saying
that this is a film about PTSD will likely give away the truth about the
post-apocalyptic section of the narrative, while most are likely to be too
irritated by the manipulation for the intended message to have any real impact
once revealed.
Man Down is disorienting in its decision
to split the film into three sections, bouncing back and forth between an
imagined wasteland of America where a former U.S. Marine named Gabriel Drummer
(Shia LaBeouf) searches for his family, flashbacks of his time in Afghanistan and
pre-deployment family life, and another flashback in which he tells a superior
officer/military psychologist (Gary Oldman) about an incident that occurred
during a mission. This is the largest problem with the film, keeping the
audience perplexed until the last third of the film. Not only is it confusing,
but by allowing the audience to think that there is a futuristic element of the
story, it ultimately deflects from the realism in the narrative. I understand
the filmmaker’s decision to keep the reality about the post-apocalyptic vision
hidden, but it ultimately decreases the impact of real issues for veterans in
favor of entertainment elements that feel contradictory.
In the
flashbacks we are given an opportunity to see Gabriel in his home life with
wife (Kate Mara) and son, but with a 90-minute run time, this feels too rushed
for any real development. Likewise, even though we are given perfunctory scenes
showing the bond between Gabriel and a fellow Marine named Devin (Jai
Courtney), there is not enough time spent with the characters for their relationship
to feel earned. Like dominos falling down, this inevitably affects the impact
of events in the storyline. When we start with a cliché, there is little room
for the plot twists to have the desired emotional power that is clearly
intended.
Perhaps the
saddest result of the sloppy screenwriting is the wasted use of some excellent
acting, especially from LaBeouf. Odd personal antics and behavior aside,
LaBeouf is truly a dedicated actor, regardless of what projects he attaches
himself to. Whether it is a large budget blockbuster like Fury or small independent movies like last year’s American Honey, LeBeouf completely
commits himself to the role. This is clearly Man Down’s greatest asset, though it often feels wasted within a
narrative that feels exploitative in its effort to trick audiences into buying
into the message of the film.
The Blu-ray
special features only have a commentary track, though it shows the priorities
of the filmmaker quite clearly. The commentary includes director Dito Montiel,
along with Military Consultant Nick Jones Jr. but no amount of military realism
is enough to compensate for the shortcomings in story structure. The Blu-ray
also comes with a Digital HD copy of the film.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 4/10
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