Causeway (15)

Lynsey is a serving member of the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan when her unit is decimated by improvised explosive devices and enemy bullets. She suffers a brain haemorrhage in the attack and begins the rehabilitation process back on home soil with 24-hour care from a kindly nurse called Sharon. Once her physical mobility has improved, Lynsey moves back in with her mother Gloria in New Orleans and takes a job cleaning pools to rebuild her strength.

LondonNet Film Review

Causeway (15) Film Review from LondonNet

Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) is a serving member of the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan when her unit is decimated by improvised explosive devices and enemy bullets. She suffers a brain haemorrhage in the attack and begins the rehabilitation process back on home soil with 24-hour care from a kindly nurse called Sharon (Jayne Houdyshell). Once her physical mobility has improved, Lynsey moves back in with her mother Gloria (Linda Emond) in New Orleans and takes a job cleaning pools to rebuild her strength. “It’s only temporary,” she assures her mother, who is shocked that Lynsey would contemplate redeployment after such a harrowing ordeal, presuming of course that Dr Lucas (Stephen McKinley Henderson) would sign the necessary paperwork. A kind-hearted car mechanic (Brian Tyree Henry) offers a hand of friendship in Lynsey’s hour of need and she begins to dismantle the walls that have always kept people at a safe distance…

Anchored by strong performances from Lawrence and Tyree Henry, Causeway is a slow-burning study of trauma, acceptance and regret that never catches fire. Screenwriters Otessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel and Elizabeth Sanders traverse familiar territory, wading for long periods through gloom and despondency in dialogue-light scenes that rely too heavily on actors to fill in the blanks. Director Lila Neugebauer adopts a soporific pace that elongates the 94-minute running time and tests our patience before Lynsey’s disorientation and rage have been channelled into some semblance of a positive plan of action. The cast are on active service but emotional depth and intensity are AWOL.

– Kim Hu