The Veteran may be built on a shoestring budget, but its message hits with the weight of something far bigger.
by Nav Qateel
From a filmmaker that wears many hats, Wilfred La Salle produces a film that covers a very important topic in today’s America and affects an alarming number of veterans, who in many cases, through no fault of their own, find themselves homeless.
As the titles roll at the end of this zero-budget movie, we’re offered stats that drive home just how bad this issue has become in the richest country on Earth. La Salle does a good job of not going left or right on the issue, but instead drives straight down the middle, allowing the viewer to make up their own mind, which is a refreshing change by today’s standards.
The Veteran follows the story of U.S. Marine Jose Torres, as he and his fellow soldiers fight in Iraq in 2001. Torres is a hero and proves himself several times, but after being injured during a surprise attack, he is prescribed oxycodone to deal with the back pain, with predictable results.
After his addiction is revealed, Torres (played by Yanko Valentin-Perez) is honorably discharged and ends up stateside with his wife and son, now having to watch as things go from bad to worse thanks in part to how the VA handles vets with addiction problems. To make matters worse, Torres’s wife and son are killed when their car is hit by a driver who turns out to be under the influence.
Now broke and homeless, Torres lives on the streets of New York City, panhandling and digging through trash for scraps to eat. It’s during this time we’re introduced to wealthy CEO Maxwell “Max” Cade, a man going through a tough time with investors questioning his judgment and his partners not always acting in his best interests.
Max is successful, with a beautiful wife and home, but clearly not satisfied with life. This begins to change after he sees Torres on the streets being questioned by two cops. Max (played by Lancelot E. Theobald Jr.) sets out to help Torres, as Max lost a brother who also served in the military, and Torres reminds him of that brother.
Considering that The Veteran was made for next to nothing, La Salle has done a solid job of putting everything together. There were some issues that really needed money spent on them, like makeup for example, but then AI (or CGI) was used to great effect for the helicopters, and they were extremely convincing, so it was a balancing act that writer-director La Salle tackled well. Some of the characters were a bit too on the nose when it came to picking on Torres as he panhandled, but these were minor issues.
On the whole, The Veteran is a touching film that tells an important story of real-life struggles by real people, and it’s impressive how well the movie looks given its financial restraints. La Salle is learning on the job and learning well, and appears to be on an interesting trajectory that will be worth following. The Veteran is a must-see for fans of indie movies.
Nav’s Score: 7.5/10
