Fort Bliss

Strong and moving......

Don't be fooled by the synopsis. The movie is cute, but her conquest for her son's love is too fast. The great point of the film is not about conquest but choices.

Led by a moving performance by Michelle, the film carries weight with sensitivity, more interested in the pains of post-service reentry than the usual pressures of a war zone.

I had never heard of this film before, I spent 12 years in the Army, been deployed to various countries. I had to leave my child behind. This movie hit home..

After a 15 month tour in Afghanistan, decorated Army medic Maggie Swann (Michelle Monaghan) returns to a cool reception. Her ex-husband Richard (Ron Livingston) is engaged to his pregnant girlfriend Alma (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Her son Paul doesn't remember her and views Alma more of a mother figure than her. She is still struggling with traumas from the tour and regular life is hard for her.

I really love Michelle Monaghan's performance as the hardened Maggie. Her relationship with her son is compelling. In fact, I prefer the movie just concentrating on that and leave out the romance. There's nothing wrong with the love story but it feels common. The mother-child story feels fresher. It takes the often-repeated story on a less traveled road.

SSG Swann was in the Afghanistan conflict as a combat medic, and she was exposed to some situations that no human that has not been in combat could understand. I think the film gives viewers a taste of what the most simple encounters there were like. I think it does a great job of explaining that sometimes you can never ever talk to your family or friends about your combat experience, or face judgement from them because of it. I'm not a female, and I'm married with kids, but I have personally witnessed this type of situation unfold. I've only discussed the most....I guess Boring parts... with them. There were some factual errors, sure, but they weren't too far off. If it weren't for the small factual errors (commissary open at night, what?), this would definitely get 10 stars from me.

Was lucky to score tickets to see Ft. Bliss at the close of the G.I. Film Festival this weekend. I saw the trailer online before I went, but I really wasn't too sure what to expect. First, it was very cool to see the actors and writer/director attend the premiere, and they took questions afterward, which was cool. But once the lights dimmed and the movie started, and everyone got settled it, it is an intense and very well written and acted movie. I knew Michelle Monaghan and Ron Livingston, both of whom were really good (Ron LIvingston was definitely different than in the other roles that I was used to seeing him play. He has come a long way since Swingers, although he is still money). But the other actors who I didn't know were good too, including the kid. During the question and answer part, they said that the movie will be released for distribution in the fall. I watch a lot of movies on cable, but this was definitely worth a few hours of my time to see it in the theater. One final word: If all women in the army were as hot as Michelle Monaghan (who was really glamorous in person), everyone would want to enlist!!