Passagem

This is a slow, sad, sentimental and sweet plot ( not a story really) about Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) who suffers from the effects of trauma after returning from the war in Afghanistan. ( PTSD) .She was caught in an explosion there which gave her a brain injury. Now she is trying to rehabilitate herself at her hometown in America. Director Lila Neugebauer presents a straightforward narrative as Lynsey attempts to rehabilitate herself. It is indeed creditable that the director has kept away from melodramatic and tear jerking scenes. Jennifer undergoes physiotherapy sessions to be able to walk and acts well to convey the exhaustion, pain and stress her character feels. Then again despite her traumatic experience in Afghanistan, she wants to get redeployed due to a dysfunctional relationship with her mother at home.( On her return from rehab Jennifer doesn't even get a hug or a comforting word from mom.) We have a paradoxical situation where she wants to go back to the war zone as she is not happy at home. A good part of the movie shows the friendship between Jennifer and Brian Tyree Henry, an automobile mechanic. Both are leading stressful lives and have a backstory to tell and both appear to be mirror images of each other in a way. Both are going through a process of healing of their turbulent past. There is a palpable comfort level seen as they spend time over a beer talking about mundane things. Both artists have given touching performances and may pick up awards. Jennifer excels in the scene where she persuades the neurosurgeon for a waiver so that she can go for redeployment and the scene where she speaks in sign language with her brother.

Yes this is another vehicle for JenLaw to show off her ample assets. She is reserved and nuanced here and allows Brian Tyree Henry to steal nearly every scene that they share.

BTH is a revelation here. He is a large man that delivers a simmering and sometimes explosive performance and does it with an understated strength. I hope that Hollywood is paying attention and gets him some higher profile roles.

While this material seems somewhat familiar, the female lead makes for a different turn on the whole vet returning from war genre.

Coming in at a tight just over 90 minutes, this one is well worth a look.

Nothing much happens. But it really moved me nonetheless. Not in a dramatic kinda way, but in a mellow, kindhearted, subtle way.

The story: Lesbian soldier (Jennifer Lawrence) suffering from a brain injury is struggling to heal, phyisically and mentally. And she finds a male friend (spoiler: NO romance), whom she can share her feelings with.

This story might sound a bit like a sentimental tearjerker perhaps, but it sure as heck is the opposite of a tearjerker. It's true, down to earth and heartfelt. And so recognizable and humanlike...

The good: NOT a blistering drama, no, this is a SUBTLE, moody, ENDEARING CHARACTER portrait, with beautiful photography, with a heartfelt direction (debut) and excellent acting performances.

More good: Jennifer Lawrence SHINES. She simply does. And she shines at acting a fierce, yet struggling woman, fighting to stay afloat after she suffered from a debilitating brain injury.

The many, MANY emotions that Jennifer Lawrence is capable of showing, whithout even speaking, is to die for. She is the real thing! Her opposing leading actor is terrific as well.

Any bad? Not suited for the impatient, because nothing much happens at all, but this subtle story really moved me nonetheless. This movie is an ACTOR'S movie. Full stop. And I loved watching it for these many excellent true to life acting performances.

Such an achievement to act out SO many emotions with such a simple story and with so few use of words. This is why I love to watch cinema. Bravo!

(Produced by Jennifer Lawrence herself).

I don't know if Causeway will be talked about during the Oscar season, but I thought the film was pretty solid. It's a slow examination of PTSD & the frustrating process of rehabilitation with strong performances from Jennifer Lawrence & Brian Tyree Henry at its core, their dynamic is what made the movie work for me even though it can be a tough watch at times considering the nature of the subject.

Jennifer Lawrence's character suffers from an incident in Afghanistan and she still has to deal with the repercussions now that she's back home, a place that she doesn't necessarily like to be. It's mostly a quiet film but it has some strong moments of emotions, especially towards the end where I felt like they did a good job making us care about the characters. The people in this movie felt very natural and that's just good casting & acting. A good reminder that Jennifer Lawrence can act.

The relationship between Jennifer Lawrence's character (Lynsey) and her family & friends is what drives this film. She has some work to do on her physical & mental health and we witness her journey as she tries to adjust to her new life. The bond she builds with Brian Tyree Henry is heartfelt as they share a similar trauma and are trying to help each other. It's not something I would be willing to watch again in the near future, it's a heavy subject, but at least there's some light in there to give us hope and make us appreciate the material.

7/10.

Causeway is a decent drama backed by great performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry. Lila Neugebauer's debut feature is a quiet moving drama which slowly shows a soldiers recovery from a brain injury.

Jennifer Lawrence wisely chooses a smaller production here, taking a break from big budget affair like Hunger Games & especially X-Men (The X-Men series ended up a noose round Lawrence's neck after the great First Class & Days Of Future Past).

Brian Tyree Henry continues his rise here and does well in a more serious role than usually expected from him. After Bullet Train, he's had a fairly successful year.

Hopefully Jennifer Lawrence will stick to more independent efforts like this and Winter's Bone as that's where her talents are definitely more suited.