
“To put it in more poignant terms, there’s an irrevocable amount of emotional suffering that was involved and for me, that emotion is personal,” a soldier remarks in one of his group therapy sessions for “My Dead Friend Zoe” bluntly Kyle Hausmann’s pinpoint perspective on how veterans suffer with mental health issues. Simultaneously, this film portrays the aftermath of a veteran losing their friends during the Thai Corps service. To summarize, most of this film revolves around refraining from giving the help the veterans need, and in that light, that’s precisely the point the film’s director intended to showcase.
Reverting to Veterans, Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) has a difficult time moving on from the death of Zoe (Natalie Morales), one of her Afghan comrades during her deployment. As a result, during the times she was working, a ghost of Zoe was at all times following Merit around, mocking and taunting her, Or the audience that was spectating the movie.
This ghost story has a new take. The film depicts Zoe as a tool to help Merit get over the trauma she is grappling with, but her best friend, Zoe, refuses to allow Merit to even contemplate if she does not want to provide relief which is one of the reasons why she remains so resistant to help. The director is cognizant of her plight. Most of his life post-army service is focused on making commercials about the veteran in society, which this one also in a way interfaces with his debut feature (certainly the fact that Travis Kelce appeared among 14 executive producers turned out to be an insignificant detail, but no less important is the fact that thanks to these veteran patrons the hundreds of less famous investors where able to afford this concept).
The drama in question touches on a social concern without being overtly sanctimonious; if that is a concern, such a drama can be classified as a social service. There is no need to worry that it’s all a made-up story it is a film that causes, among other things, discomforting laughter and merits crying during its cathartic end. One should only understand that the reason for the film is not to please the audience. Thus, there is no reason to dismiss the existence of such an agenda rather superiority should be brought to correct this by questioning such cynicism. The message is crystal clear yes, going off to fight for your country is dangerous, but even returning home has its risks. Unfortunately, some, like Merit, are at risk of hurting themselves if they don’t get the help they need.
The plight of her character is likely to be disregarded by everyone else, and this very reason is why Hausmann-Stokes set out to cast veterans in as many of the roles as he could. Ed Harris as Clay, Merit’s grandfather is a Vietnam veteran but almost all the rest of the cast playing the part of a soldier were soldiers in real life, not leading ladies Martin-Green and Morales. Morgan Freeman’s deep voice and gentle temperament straightforwardly sound to fit the character of Dr. Cole an admirable introduction therapist of the groups of depressed ex-servicemen and women that Merit was watching in the court. It is worth noting that the dream of the blushing Merits Cole is far simpler as she features in the beginning of the film, where for the first time Cole gets Aisha and Sensei who were the first soldiers to see Cole.
It seems very ignorant and naive to just say something about the emotional center of the whole film without presenting any factual information to qualify such a statement. Quebec by Morrison, or Namedead for example is a close approximation of the time of death. Here, Hausmann-Stokes signifies the extent of the shocks on Merit changing of occupation from militaristic to civilian in Oregon by adding photographs of her embellishments, LOLing with Zoe, hiding from snipers somewhere, shoving away friendly male soldiers, or trying to relish I-pod pop with broken heads (Never have the hey-words of ‘Umbrella’ been so appropriately put ‘When the war has took its part Said I’ll always be your friend’)
As edited, this chaos can be abrupt and awkward, but this goes hand in hand with trauma. The intersection of war and the mundane traumatizes Merit even in the case when all she wants to recall are memories of Zoe. Morales is so enthusiastic in her portrayal of Zoe that she at times steals the limelight. However, there comes a time when this is what makes her an irritant when she prevents Merit from achieving her goals and when trying to build a relationship with a good-natured but blandly simple stranger portrayed by Utkarsh Ambudkar.
Dr. Cole believes that recently she took some time out from her work because of an accident. He respects this position but is rather strict about it she will not have her paperwork signed unless made to comply with them. He manages to get in touch with her. Or rather, after attending group therapy, she goes MIA and quickly responds to her therapist’s call about whether everything is fine. It’s a risky period of time. Alongside, we also have the problem of Merit’s grandfather. Her mother, Gloria Reuben, is a businesswoman who does not give a second to the corporate world to her son Clay who seems to be developing early signs of Alzheimer’s. Merit finds it hard to go for therapy and so heads over to the cabin beside the lakeside where Clay lives, telling him to am ‘watching over him’.
In the first place, Clay is the one who provoked the reason to recruit into Merit. Since he is of a different generation, his fight or flight reflex causes him to be defensive, so talking to him really does not assist her inner struggles in any way. The film states the case clearly that there is part of society who has owes a great deal of apology to these veterans as to how they were received during the time of their return. To put it simply, it appears that such ignorance now might be too much because instead of standing still, now is the time to do something, on behalf of the soldiers who went away and did the things nobody wants to do. In Merits’s case, it is different she has to touch, and, quite obviously, be capable of saying things not to enhance everyone’s feelings but for everyone’s sake. That is the essence of Hausmann-Stokes’ approach, and his film should be the first one to be watched in this order Respect and care about our veterans.
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