Man Down

Plot synopsis:
A U.S. Marine named Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) has a wife, Natalie (Kate Mara), and a son, Jonathan (Charlie Shotwell). Jonathan gets bullied at the school because Natalie said "I love you" to him in front of his schoolmates. Gabriel and Jonathan come up with "man down" as a secret code for "I love you". Before serving a tour to Afghanistan, Gabriel promises to get in touch with Jonathan. Gabriel's best friend and fellow Marine Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney), who injured his arm, stays at the city and takes care of Natalie and Jonathan for a while.
Gabriel serves a tour to Afghanistan. Later, he is joined by Devin. They are attacked by the Afghan armed group. Devin is fatally shot and apologizes to Gabriel. Gabriel finds a memo, on which Devin's password for a video chatting website is written. Gabriel accesses to the website and realizes that Natalie had a relationship with Devin.
Gabriel is interviewed by Captain Peyton (Gary Oldman) about the incident in Afghanistan. Peyton is concerned about Gabriel's mental condition. However, Gabriel insists that he is okay and leaves Peyton's office.
When Gabriel returns home, he finds that the city is devastated. Accompanied with Devin, he searches desperately for the whereabouts of Natalie and Jonathan. The two encounter Charles (Clifton Collins, Jr.), who has an envelope of the letter that Gabriel wrote to Jonathan. Devin scuffles with Charles and accidentally shoots him. Gabriel finds Jonathan and takes him out. The police surround them.
Coming into the building that Gabriel and Jonathan are hiding, Natalie talks to Gabriel. Gabriel realizes that he is confused. It is revealed that the city is not devastated. Devin died in Afghanistan. The one who shot Charles is not Devin but Gabriel. He cries and apologizes to Natalie and Jonathan. Immediately after, he is shot by the police. Jonathan runs up to him. Gabriel tries to hand over a memo to Jonathan. It says "man down".

Tags: alternate reality

Review:
Wow the critics went hard on this film and I don't know why.It's probably one of the most under-rated films I've seen, and I'm glad I did, as it was excellent.I'm not a huge Shia LaBeouf fan but his performance in this was outstanding!
Although I'm not a fan of back and forth time lines (I actually hate too much of it), this was done very well, and it was necessary to keep the viewer guessing and in suspense of what happens next.The film did very well in getting a strong point across about vets and PTSD.
As much as you might hate him personally, he knows a good story when he sees one.This film I had heard very little about, I knew it had something to do with war, but not much else.
I kind of started losing interest and was barely paying attention, when all of a sudden...The movie took a crazy turn, and I realized what was really going on, and why everything seemed confusing and off with the timing.
The movie is about war and love and there are many film about that, but the way they did "man down" I've never seen before.
Here I thought I was going to watch some post apocalyptic film, and yeah I do like those sorts, but this film just left me breathless.
I know the subject at hand is politically a very touchy subject, but no matter what side of the fence you sit at look at the damage that is still done to the best part of our generation, young men and women!Sadly war is and has been part of humanity's own downfall, but seeing the numbers regarding the forgotten heroes at the end brought tears to this stone cold hearted tough as nails old mans eyes.I don't know what else to say but to watch this film, one of the better on the subject for years.10 out of 10 for me, and yeah I don't even care for the main lead actor, but man did he nail this role on the head.Bring back our soldiers and look after those that needs us..
I got invested in the protagonist as the story unravels from two ends at the same time, it jumps between present and backstory explaining Shias behavior little by little as the movie goes and the ending had me pleasantly surprised since it came very unsuspecting.
Overall it is a good movie, but it could have been better.+ Great cast - Cheap production.
I just saw this tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival (with Shia LaBeouf and Kate Mara in the audience), in the lovely Roy Thomson Hall, and had absolutely no expectations going in.
The premise sounded interesting (a marine returns from the Afghanistan war to post-apocalyptic America in search of his wife and son) , but in all honesty Shia was a bit of a red flag.
But when it comes to Man Down, just because its main character suffers from PTSD episodes doesn't make it a good film.
In fact, it's what makes it bad because here it treats PTSD as if it's some form of schizophrenia, when the film's main character former U.S Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LeBeouf in his second collaboration with director Dito Montiel) is put through a desperate search for his estranged son and wife.
If you can be bothered to look up what connects the two films then might you be filled with another sloppy 'big reveal' feeling.The best thing about this film is Clifton Collins Jr and he didn't really have a big part, but you just get the feeling that if he playing LaBeouf's character, then it would've turned out a lot better..
Like his character says in the film: "You don't discuss it." (BTW --there were a fair number of Shia-haters at the screening that just wanted to trash him.
Shia Labeouf's acting in this movie is absolutely top notch.
Man Down is a quite frankly, banal....There's nothing original on offer here.It incessantly flip flops between past and present events, with a post apocalyptic world on the one hand and a past life, that looks like a recruitment video for the US military.
The only reason this has good reviews here must be because the movie tries to gain sympathy for the murican troops..Unless your a no-argument-against-it supporter of the troops, or unless you are madly in love with lebouf, stay clear.
Shia Labeouf delivers a great performance in the film as he carries but overall the plot and style may seem like a letdown.
It could have been written a little better, but Shia LaBeouf delivered a powerful and an emotionally driven performance about PTSD.
Personally I'm not a fan, but his acting in this film is top quality, and he gets excellent support from Jai Courtney and Kate Mara.
Unbearably, we feel as though we are aging when we watch this film, as Kate and Shia and Gary insanely perform with near perfection within a structure possessed by incompetence and grounded down by ineptitude.
Most pathetic of all, the manifold and multiform editing of Man Down, trying far too hard to encapsulate and replicate the phenomenology of the trauma of PTSD, feels completely cheap and derivative, trying to illuminate a condition the creators of the film clearly know absolutely nothing about, inauthentically trying to make us believe what is real and what is not is a clever plot device rather an an absolute failure in all things imaginable.
Perhaps this movie and story would have hit me harder had I not recently watched Michael King's documentary When War Comes Home.
That said, the dramatization offers a few worthy moments.The story/stories revolve around a new Marine named Gabriel Drummer (played by Shia LaBeouf).
We are bounced between three timeframes: a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world; the time Gabriel is serving on the frontlines of Afghanistan; the pre-Marines time when we see Gabriel as a loving father, husband and friend  he's the kind of dad who surprises his son with a birthday puppy, and creates a secret phrase so he can tell his son he loves him without embarrassing him at school.An interrogation sequence between Gabriel and the military counselor (played by the great Gary Oldman) provides the film's best scenes  the two actors go head to head in what is really psychological warfare in a trailer office.
Once we are provided the details of the incident, we fully understand why Gabriel is an emotional mess, and basically shut-down from conversation and life.Kate Mara appears as Gabriel's wife and Charlie Shotwell (Captain Fantastic) as his son.
The effects of war provided plenty to make the point director Montiel is going for, and the cheap/clumsy gimmick only distracts.LaBeouf is in fine form and in quite a different role than his quick-with-a-quip charmer in this year's American Honey.
Can't believe it doesn't have at least 7 rating here.Incredible movie that makes a brilliant point about lack of mental health and overall support for vets..
I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster and couldn't take my eyes off it , as the story unfolds it shows the stark reality of returning from a war zone broken and not helped in any way, I think it's a good film about a terrible thing that happens to our soilders.
What a measage it carries!Alot of the critics reviews don't seem to like this film but I think thats because they simply don't understand and haven't taken the time to be sucked into the story line and see the wider picture.Throughout this film, the story will take you on a rollercoaster of confusion and feelings.
It takes just that bit of patience and understanding to realise what is going on, and that is just like the real thing.This film has really opened my eyes and I thank it for that.Again, brilliant movie, ignore what the critics say and just put the time in to truly understand it and enjoy..
Well played, well directed and defiantly well made.What a spin on a end to world movie, to use the topic of bringing the challenges faced by soldiers who have killed.
Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) is a marine with his comrade Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney) searching for his family in a post apocalyptic America where they encounter Charles (Clifton Collins, Jr.).
My opinion-.This very good film was realized by Dito Montiel, I can say that he worked very well his subject by showing us a film from the start or he just transposed his idea to a post-apocalyptic war movie.
It must be said that his idea was superbly treated well and that it is only at the end of the film that one really understands the strength he has given and is able to treat with rigor a most dramatic subject And which affects a very large number of soldiers on the post-traumatic séquelles that these wars are reaching to the deepest of the human mind in their situations often dramatic.
This film is treated with subtlety, to take us to images of apocalyptic warfare such that the human spirit who has undergone the traumatisme feels it in the depths of its mind, confused by all the dramas that awaken in them this fear of a future For it can not be otherwise for many who are more sensitive to all these events created by wars and their disasters.
The film follows the story of a soldier deployed in Iraq with his unit, and who is precisely found in a dramatic situation that disturbed him deeply and reached the depths of his mind that will govern later His way of reacting to himself on his return home.
"They're not feelings sir, they're real." Gabriel Drummer (LaBeouf) is a loving father and husband who is in the marines and is ready to ship off to war along with his best friend Devin (Courtney).
LaBeouf's acting in this is the best I have ever seen him do and the movie is almost worth watching for that.
The critics definitely got it wrong with this one it's a great movie.
Completely different from usual war flim , this movies sheds light on the aspects of war and post war , the plot , storyline is amazing keeps you guessing thru out the film it starts off a little slow but then it starts to hit you non stop.
Shia Lebouf was great in the movie and the ending was unexpected..
No, it's not a post-apocalyptic SF movie like there have been so many in recent years (both excellent and bad).
When reading the quotes of digital articles, you'll lose the will to watch this seemingly horrible film : "Man down is a Cliché-Ridden Mess", "A meandering mystery", "A disappointing hodgepodge of ideas and styles" and also "A convoluted tangle of idiotic time-lines".
The first story-line deals with the family life of Gabriel and the start of his training as a marine which was recommended by his best friend Devin (Jai Courtney).
I also appreciated the decent acting performances of Shia LaBeouf, Jai Courtney, Charlie Shotwell and Kate Mara.
By the time the third act rolls around and you see what's really going on, you're emotionally sucker punched when least expecting it, and the film's quiet, devastating anti-war message is hit home with the force of a sledgehammer.
I can't say too much more without ruining it, but it's one of the most thoughtful, understanding war films I've seen, one that gets the reality of what it's like to have seen such atrocities, and come out of it a different person.
This may only be the third of fourth review I've written, but I felt that people should hear some praise about this movie because it really was a surprisingly good.Shia Labeouf does a superb job.
Shia LaBeouf never strike me at a actors i only know him as the main character of Transformer series.None of his filmography leave any impact on me and lately he also involving with a lot of crazy stuff on newspaper so he also very bad in public eye but after read a news about his latest movie Man Down being bombed super hard at the box office and had a very low rating on IMDb so i decide to check the movie out and you guys know what?For the first time ever Shia LaBeouf truly shine in my eyes at a actors.Don't read the description because it might give you a false expectations when the movie describe as a post- apocalyptic thriller in fact it a very heartbreaking drama story about a U.S. Marine played by Shia when he go through a journey full of blood and sand just to get back with his son.The relationship with his son is the best aspect of this movie and Shia deliver the most raw and gritty performance yet in his career.The movie kinda messy at first when it often jump back and front to different time line that can really hard to follow but when you get used to it in the end when all the puzzle pieces together it very surprising and caught me off guard.I guess the main problem with this movie for me is beside Shia all the supported characters very blank.
Just watched Man Down (the one that sold a single ticket in the U.K. in theaters opening weekend)...you can hate Shia LeBeouf and his political stances all you want but that was a BRILLIANT performance.
Shia LaBeouf, Kate Mara & Charlie Shotwell all delivered stunning performances and I hope get recognized.
I can only explain this movie's poor reviews on its staunch anti-war message and focus on veteran's mental health, troubling subjects in today's media, especially America's increasingly militarized society.
It's a shame the critics were so depreciative & derogatory of Shia's performance & film director..
The film reteams star Shia LaBeouf with director Dito Montiel; the two first worked together on the 2006 critically acclaimed drama 'A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS'.
I respect it a lot more than most critics do.Gabriel Drummer (LaBeouf) is a marine who recently experienced a horrendous tragedy, while at war in Afghanistan.
At the same time we also see Drummer interviewed by a military Captain (Oldman) about his recent traumatic experiences at war.Right from the beginning of the movie I knew things were not as they seemed.
This predictability is the weakest part of the movie, and I can understand why some critics would rate it lower because of this, but the rest of the film is still pretty good.
His tremendous acting is definitely the highlight of the movie, but it's also a very emotional (and thoughtful) look at the traumas of war; and it takes a very poignant look at those suffering from PTSD.
It's a pity that many viewers would probably lose interest before it comes to the end.But again, I'd say this film is worth 90 minutes of your life, especially if you like the kind of war movies like Jarhead and American Sniper..
Even if you won't like the movie you will enjoy Shia's performance.
The film includes performances from Gary Oldman, Kate Mara, and Jai Courtney.
This is a Shia LaBeouf movie.
This is a Shia LaBeouf movie.
Watch the movie to the end, and if anything, take away an understanding of the effects of PTSD and mental illness.
The direction that the film is attempting is valiant, but sadly as someone who has served, and understands combat this movie misses the mark completely.
Man Down is a movie that wants to make a statement about PTSD and suffering but it handles the subject matter like a bull in a china shop.
Dito Montiel, the director, wanted to take an emotional movie about the ravages of war but his direction and understanding is terrible.
It takes a deep dive into PTSD, and shows how it affects not only the soldier, but those close to him.I loved the cast of characters; very raw and passionate performances given by everyone, including the son, and the story line was amazing.
Shia LeBeouf gives a most solid performance here as Marine Lance Corporal Gabriel Drummer, who begins to suffer from PTSD after suffering traumatic events both on the battlefield and in his personal life.
Man Down is the story of U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) who fought for his country in Afghanistan only to return home to an America very different than the one he left, a post-apocalyptic hell that is no better than the war zone he just left.
Accompanied by his best friend, Drummer goes on the hunt for his missing wife Natalie (Kate Mara) and their son.Man Down marks the return to the mainstream big screen movies for LaBeouf who has been somewhat absent since his last appearance in Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011.
Through much of the movie, we are watching Gabriel Drummer in four different phases: with his wife and child before the Marines; the mission in Afghanistan, his session with counselor Peyton after "the incident", and finally back in the United States that has been destroyed as he desperately searches for his wife and child with his best friend.
Though I don't foresee Man Down being nominated for Best Picture, it would be a crime if LaBeouf isn't recognized for this role in this tragic, gripping, heart-breaking film that earned a solid 4 stars from me.
And so are the movie critics who have weighed in on Dito Montiel's Man Down.
If your going to make a war drama or a statement about PTSD then you should sell the movie that way.
Whilst the film does little new in this area, it was still good to watch and this is all helped by a wonderful performance by LaBeouf - he hasn't always been brilliant in the past, but here he does excel and is very believable (both before his PTSD and during his PTSD).