Repatriation

Starts out as an amiable, humorous slice-of-life film about a veteran coming home and meeting up with old friends but has a clever trick up its sleeve that I don't want to give away. The script has real bite and conviction. Lead Ryan Barton-Grimley carries the movie like a pro and looks a bit like Sterling Hayden. Jes Mercer matches him with a very appealing performance as the girl who used to have a crush on him and struggles to process what he has become - or perhaps always was. The whole cast is naturalistic and professional. Mostly hand-held camera- work gives it an edgy, you-are-there feel. I was genuinely surprised by the ending. Definitely worth a look.

Nice to see an independent movie taking on this kind of subject matter. You don't see many of these dealing with the conflict of war and the outcomes. I really enjoyed the journey that they took you on. Great cast and dialogue...definitely worth a look!

Subtle performances and carefully crafted dialogue give this "soldier coming home" drama a twist; all the way to the end. Clever camera work exposes the journey of a one man wrecking crew's reappearance in a small town. Solid acting by Grimley and Mercer tell the story of self loathing and debauchery.

When soldiers come back home they usually enjoy some sense of relief, but unfortunately reality usually sets in, leaving them alone and in search of answers. This independent films portrays that so well, but it accomplishes it in just one day. The acting, cinematography, score and directing are all top notch. It has a high production value and I was astonished to learn that it was shot in the Midwest. This character driven story is one to see. Highly recommended!

As I watched "Repatriation" I kept thinking of a book review from the great Richard Price - so I will use it here and switch the name of the book for this little gem of a film, because I think it actually describes it quite well. It went something like this: "Repatriation sings, mugs, wisecracks, charms, buys you a drink, steals your wallet, and then takes you home to meet the folks." Repatriation has a lot of good things going for it and the filmmakers did a great job of keeping the film honest and truthful to the story. But I would like to highlight one of the reasons Repatriation works so well and it's such an honest and heartfelt piece - and that is no other than it's lead, Ryan Barton-Grimley. Mr. Barton-Grimley has the talent and skills to pull off a tour de force performance rarely seen in Indie Filmmaking. He could be as charming as he is menacing and does it in a way that seems completely organic, not forced or calculated. His performance in this film is top-notch! I highly recommend Repatriation. It is a film that you will enjoy watching but it will also linger in your mind as you wonder what went wrong.