Thank You for Your Service

American Sniper screenwriter Jason Hall makes his directorial debut with this American Sniper-lite ensemble piece that follows a group of Iraq War veterans as they unsteadily reintegrate into society. Based on David Finkel’s non-fiction book of the same name, Thank You for Your Service mostly focuses on Schumann (Miles Teller), a young father still reliving disturbing war experiences, and “Solo” (Beulah Koale), whose debilitating brain injuries begin to tear his life to shreds. Faced with insufficient medical and psychological care, as well as an apathetic home front, the soldiers’ untreated trauma wreaks havoc on their families. Hall certainly seems to grasp the mindset of the modern warrior, sensitively showing the way that steely exteriors can conceal deep rivers of pain and regret. But as might be expected from a screenwriter turned first-time director, Hall’s film is dialogue-heavy and story-light, smart and observant but largely lacking in urgency and revelation. D.B.