Lonesome Soldier Featured, Reviews Film Threat
The Lonely Soldier presents a harsh reality check on the consequences of an American soldier serving in Iraq unprepared for the consequences of PTSD, which turns his life upside down. The director of the film, Nino Aldi, does not hesitate to recount the journey of Jackson Harlow (Alexander Randazzo), based on “a true American story”, where a young man from Perth, Tennessee, around year 2005, trying to do good in my work. life and country while raising a family at the time of enlistment. Sent to Iraq, Jackson returns home a changed man, where he is unable to overcome the demons of war following the death of a friend, Earl (Dion Ritchie), and the murders. happen Lonesome Soldier contains all the elements to keep viewers engaged for an outcome many know and find harrowing. Jackson, a talented musician working in his grandfather’s Macroberts (John Ashton) auto repair shop and a military veteran, wants success, especially for his girlfriend, who becomes his wife, Christy (Lean Grosjean). A formidable man but a relentless supporter of Jackson, Macroberts offers what he can to keep Jackson on a forward-moving path, even if it’s received with backlash.
When his musical career ends, he joins the army, leaving behind his band and friends called Lawler (Jesse James) and Bobby (Michael Southworth). Although Jackson’s mother, Teresa (Allison McAtee), disapproves of him becoming a soldier, she still cares deeply for her son. His partner John (Steve Monroe) agrees that Jackson will serve his country until he can return no more. The war in Iraq was difficult and Jackson was never the same when he came home. Fireworks made the place look like a battlefield and his wife had disappeared. Jackson turns into a reckless, drugged-out drunk, at the mercy of his drug-dealing girlfriend Marissa (Flavia Watson) and fellow fugitives Lawler and Bobby. However, Jackson’s mother refuses to let him rot, even at the cost of her relationship with John and the future of her granddaughter, Jackson’s daughter, with his wife, Christy.
Although Lonesome Soldier has a suitable ending of forgiveness and continuance, it is not without exposing real challenges and despicable behavior in how a soldier must endure the aftermath of war and PTSD, which leads to unthinkable consequences. Regardless of a soldier’s trauma, life still happens with deaths, betrayals, and change. However, the training and guidance from Jackson’s Sargent Winnfield (Patrick Y. Malone), therapy, and his mother’s support are not in vain. Lonesome Soldier provides perspective for it all, and Jackson pulls off a performance of transformation, especially in his Tennessee environs, which also has its underbelly, providing a parallel for similar scenarios that many soldiers face. The acting and direction in Lonesome Soldier should appeal to a broad audience, not just those familiar with PTSD and military life and outcomes. In addition, the film is well-shot and scripted, and Jackson Harlow has great screen appeal in every version of himself, along with the film’s supporting cast.