critic's rating: 3.5/5

Jason Hall, who had written the similarly themed American Sniper, debuts as a director with Thank You For Your Service. He has adapted the screenplay from reporter David Finkel’s book of the same name. It revolves around  posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and follows the lives of four comrade-in-arms as they try to assimilate themselves into civilian life after completing multiple call of duties in Iraq.

After spending months in Iraq under devastating conditions, multiply decorated veteran Adam Schumann (Miles Teller) returns home to his loving wife, Saskia (Haley Bennett). They have two young children, a daughter and infant son born while Adam was deployed in Iraq. Adam suffers from PTSD and somehow manages to convince himself he needs helps and visits the Department of Veterans Affairs along with an army friend Solo Aeiti (Beulah Koale). Solo’s PTSD has him forgetting everyday things and sends him into bouts of anger. He even scares his heavily pregnant wife later in the film during one such incident. Both men are stymied by the mountains of paperwork given to them. Also, they feel that not enough is being done for them despite the fact that they were literally laying down their lives while serving their country. It’s brought out through the film that there are too many army veterans floating around and there just isn’t enough manpower to help everyone around.

Both men are further saddened to hear that Billy Waller (Joe Cole), another close buddy, has committed suicide in front of his fiancée (Kate Lyn Sheil) after she left him. Also, they both are carrying burdens from the past. Adam dropped a buddy shot in the head while carrying him down a flight of stairs. He finally develops the courage to go and meet the soldier Michael Emory (Scott Haze), who is hemiplegic but has a surprisingly resilient attitude towards life. Michael thanks Adam of saving his life and the visit convinces Adam of getting himself admitted into a rehab facility. He also finally meets the widow of James Doster (Brad Beyer), played by Amy Schumer. James has swapped places with him during a patrol and got killed when a small bomb exploded underneath their vehicle. His words offer closer to the widow who absolves Adam of his guilt, telling him that her husband would have wanted him to live and not die each day haunted by his fears. Schumer is known for her comedic elegance but has done a superb job in this small but powerful dramatic cameo.

Solo, meanwhile, has drifted towards a  group of arms and drug dealers led by another army veteran Dante (Omar Dorsey). Adam rescues him and sends him to a rehab facility in California in his place. We later learn that he too got himself enlisted later in the institute.

The situations in the film feel real. You get the pain and suffering of the soldiers trying hard to get back into civilian lives but not really getting the hang of it. The cast has given their best to the film. Haley Bennett is nothing short of brilliant as Adam’s fiercely supportive wife, while Beulah Koale shines as a man teetering on the brink of emotional downfall. Miles Teller brings out all the poignancy of a good man carrying the burden of unnecessary guilt in his refined, understated performance. The narrative is crisp and precise, going back and forth between present day events and memories of war front. The film is shot in a stark manner, the lighting grey and subdued, in keeping with the film’s sombre mood.

The film doesn’t lay the blame on the American government but doesn’t absolve it of its sins either. It tells a familiar tale effectively. We tend to overlook the  bravery of those who guard us, often at the cost of their lives. More such films should be made to acquaint us about the grim realities of their profession.

Summing up, Thank You For Your Service is a fine debut for Jason Hall. Let’s hope he continues his fine form in future endeavours as well...