A drama about a young veteran who starts to learn about the struggles and difficulties of being home. I haven’t seen something this intense and full of feelings since Uncle Brian.
We start out with our protagonist Martin Tate (Rogan Christopher) as he comes home from the army, this time for good. His father (Don Tart) doesn’t come to pick him up, so he decides to enjoy the view instead. As he walks all the way home, he wonders about his life. When he finally reaches home, he discovers his father and his dad’s new girlfriend Stacy (Barb Johnny) arguing. After comforting his father, Martin goes to bed for the first time in a long time.
Martin attempts to spend quality time with his father once more but is also trying to adjust to civilian life again. He comes across one of his friends, Michelle Meyer (Allie Dunbar) who recently broke up with her last boyfriend and is very much into art and drawing. Martin’s struggles with his return often cause him to turn to his best friend Jimmy (Andrew Pigott) who he tells about how uncomfortable he feels about everyone around him. It just so happens that Mr. Tate wants to send Martin out again to the army but Martin wants to live a new life with Michelle. However, things get out of control with everyone Martin gets involved with.
This was a bit chilling but also enjoyable to watch. It was kind of like most coming of age full lengths I have seen at VIFF. It still was very good. The characters were typical but still enjoyable, the story was slow-paced but still relateable. The contrast between Martin and his father shows a lot of personal struggle. The other relationships are genuine and well acted. The scenery and setup for both camera angles and story are well organized. I nearly predicted how the ending would sum things up, and maybe it was all for the better.