Man Down

     Man Down is directed by Dito Montiel (Fighting) and stars Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Kate Mara (House of Cards), and Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad). It tells the story of a homeless Marine in a post-apocalyptic America with flashbacks to life before his service and the horrors that he faced in war.

     This movie has an important message, one that I feel is too often overlooked by many today: the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that many veterans suffer from when they return home from war. LaBeouf’s character struggles throughout the movie because of what he experienced in Afghanistan. It is hard to go into detail about the story without giving away too many spoilers, but the world in which LaBeouf lives is tragic to say the least.

     Although the message of the movie is significant, the way in which the movie tells it is lackluster. I had problems with many of the stylistic choices that the director and cinematographer chose to use. I found the lighting to be distracting as characters’ faces were flushed out and awkward shadows became visible because of the use of strong lights in close up shots. Many of the scenes had a weird highlight effect around the buildings and characters that I found distracting.

     Another odd choice made was the way in which the story was told. It was a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. As LaBeouf goes through the now barren wasteland, he remembers a conversation he had with Oldman, as he recounted his time before and during his service with the Marines. The director would often jump between flashbacks jarring me out of one scene and throwing me into another. I have never seen a story told in this manner and it was off putting.

     I found the casting to be off as well. It may just be me but whenever I see LaBeouf I still picture the young kid from Even Stevens. To see him with a 10-year-old child and married just didn’t feel right. But he is able to portray emotion very well, making you feel as if he actually went through the trauma that his character suffers. Oldman was underutilized, sitting behind a desk for the entirety that he was on screen. It could have been any number of character actors and having Oldman felt like a wasted opportunity.

     One thing I did enjoy was the suspense. A few times throughout the movie I could feel my heart beat just a little bit faster as the camera would slowly move around the room, building tension as it went. The payoff of the tension was not always worth it, but Montiel did a fine job of leading the audience on.

     Man Down has an important message to tell about PTSD and veterans but I feel like the message was hampered by the stylistic choices and actors. Instead of rushing out to see this movie, I would recommend looking up how to help the men who bravely served our country and see what you can do to help them out.

When should you see it?
Cable