A wounded war veteran navigates civilian life while grappling with the fallout of PTSD.
American Solitaire is brought to us by writer / director Aaron Davidman, a man with a small but hefty resume. His previous film was 2016’s Wrestling Jerusalem, a project that explored the nuances of the Israeli-Palestinian story from different character perspectives. This time the subject matter is just as heavy, but explored in a much more personal fashion. We spend the entirety of the film with Slinger, the aforementioned wounded vet who tries to maintain a normal life. Generational trauma keeps him distanced from his father, and a divorce keeps him distanced from his son. Slinger finds himself closer to his former military friend, Auggie, and spends more time with his family than with his own. When a gun related tragedy abruptly tears its way through his already tenuous existence, Slinger has to overcome his own trauma and shield those he cares for from experiencing any more than they have to.
Slinger is played by Joshua Close of Fargo and Killers of the Flower Moon fame. His performance in American Solitaire perfectly captures the straight laced nature of a man adjusting to civilian life after serving his country. We get to see Close’s acting talent on full display during the more visceral scenes in which raw emotion carve through his stoic exterior. His talent is equally matched by those who share the screen with him. Both Gilbert Owuor and Joanne Kelly star as veterans as well, who’s experiences differ drastically while both affect Slinger on his personal journey. Where Joanne brings a tone of quiet confidence to the table, Owuor showcases the darker side of PTSD. On the civilian side of the journey are folks like Emmett. Played by first time film star Jamir Vega, Emmett is a teenager that shares a tragic loss with Slinger, who takes him under his wing in an effort to protect him from a world of violence. With a lineup of experienced actors, Jamir’s performance is equally heartfelt. Everyone in this film deserves praise for their honest portrayals of true human nature in the wake of tragedy.
With a slow pace, American Solitaire ran the risk of feeling sluggish. Thankfully, Aaron Davidman’s approach, and the efforts of his actors, make the film worth exploring. You’ll see what trivial things become unfortunate reminders to veterans who’ve seen conflict, and you’ll experience the difficulties they face when it comes to otherwise simple tasks or maintaining meaningful connections to others. As a writer who has personal experience with PTSD, I take comfort in saying that this film perfectly understands its nature and the social domino effect it can cause. Had the film involved any action, or any other grandiose approach to the topic, it would have run the risk of seeming disingenuous. The pacing of the film is just right for everything it brings to the table. American Solitaire will grab you by the heart and walk you through a story about pain and recovery, without ever overstepping its tangible approach to the damage from war that many of the world’s veterans experience every single day. I can easily see this movie being explored on college campuses in the future thanks to its digestible take on the subjects of war, peer-to-peer relations, gun violence, and suicide. I feel as though American Solitaire is the perfect film to follow any movie about real modern warfare, as it will always act as a realistic epilogue.
