Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
When you’re down, there is only one direction left to go. Megan Leavey (Kate Mara) is a woman who went through hell without a stable source of support and rose as a defender of our great nation. Megan Leavey, based on her story, chronicles the transformation of this amazing woman and the little furry hero that helped her.
Mara is a good actor, solid performance despite the unconvincing running, too girly. From being a wily teenager (Brokeback Mountain) smart mouth journalist (House of Cards) to a psycho killer (American Horror Story) to, oh, and psycho android (Morgan), the girl’s got skills. Common struggles to bring Gunny Martin’s character to screen and this is not the first time. He stumbled over lines and imposing authority, very unbecoming of an officer in the Marines. Common’s best performance that I have seen anyway was The Gunsmith in Wanted. He had few lines, but it played well. That’s not to say that his other performances were not enjoyable to some degree i.e. Just Wright.
Overall, I enjoyed Megan Leavey. The pace was a little rushed, but it was somewhat an understandable need to capture the transformation of Leavey. Although, I think some gaps were not adequately covered. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director, used light and contrast to dramatized shifts in the plot, which was very effective. While viewing, my mind went back to Max, another amazing tale man’s bond with war dogs. This is ultimately a story of love.
The struggles with giving and receiving it as well as what we do for those we love. Partnerships come in many shapes and sizes and the bond between a human and an animal can be just as strong and relevant as one with two humans. I recommend this film, because of the good true story, the message, and the cool shots of explosions. I will leave you with a quote from Megan Leavey with which all pet owners can agree. “As much as they are our family, we’re theirs, too.”
A WINNING TEAM!
Janet L. White
Your friendly straightforward neighborhood critic