To capture the heightened experience of soldiers frazzled by PTSD, Ang Lee decided to film this adaptation of the novel by Ben Fountain using the unprecedented high frame rate of 120 frames per second. It’s an interesting idea, but one that, rather than immersing us in the world of the returning heroes forced into the public eye, takes us out of their reality. The image is distractingly crisp, the high-definition acuity is flat-out ugly at times. It’s a pity, because the story, about a young soldier who is torn between leaving the army and loyalty to his brothers at arms, is affecting and well acted by newcomer Joe Alwyn as Billy and Kristen Stewart as his sister.
