A veteran of the first Gulf War who later went on to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq discovers that returning to civilian life after the trauma he endured is but an empty dream in director Francesco Lucente's harrowing drama. Years ago, when he served in the first Gulf War, Jerry (Jamie Draven) was a patriotic Marine reservist driven by a desire to protect his fellow countrymen. Later, despite being embittered by the broken promises of the military and still not having received the respect that he
so badly craved, the civically minded father of three is redeployed to Afghanistan and Iraq only to be irreversibly damaged by the horrors of war. Now Jerry has returned home to his wife and family, struggling beneath the poverty line in a cramped trailer and devastated by night terrors. Jerry's wife, Nora, is unsympathetic to her husband's plight, and soon begins stashing their children's newspaper-route earnings in order to fund an escape. When Jerry discovers that Nora has betrayed him, the atrocity that he commits proves so shocking that even the most seasoned war veterans will recoil in horror. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Expertly constructed and beautifully photographed, Badland easily sustains its 160-minute running time, and the portrayals of Draven, a British actor, and 9-year-old Fulton can stand alongside the year's best.
Exploiting what it is supposed to renounce, Badland combines a dreadfully long and dull screenplay and extremely plain surroundings to make a well-meaning anti-war film you'll want to miss.
Some good performances. But, the overall disturbing atmosphere of the film is more than I prefer. That said, I appreciate the effort to raise awareness of PTSD.
Until the mess in the Middle East has found its way to a resolution, we can continue to expect films like Badland as part of the collateral damage in the War on Terror.
Clocking in at just under three hours, writer-director Francesco Lucente's earnest attempt at making an Iraq War-era Coming Home says many things at once without much perspective or clarity.
At least half the celluloid should have hit the editing room floor, since this one-trick road flick revolves around Jerry's constantly contemplating suicide and belatedly bonding with his daughter while eluding the authorities.
An ex vet kills his wife & 2 kids then goes to kill his daughter but the gun jams so he takes her on the run.Seems like 1/2 the time were suppose to feel sorry for him or something.I watched the movie just hoping he was gonna die a horrible death or something in the end
Fantastic and powerful movie with a great storyline about the after-effects of being a soldier in Iraq, and how it affects your family when you come home.
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