In 2015 a Vietnam Vet posted to Craig’s List in the Missed Connections pages of the site. He was looking for the woman who, through a random act of humanity, stopped this unknown soldier from committing suicide decades earlier after coming home from the war. The post eventually expired with no connection. The soldier was never identified. Yet it is this very act that inspired the powerful film The Plastic Men. Written and directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr., the movie builds a fictional narrative around what might have inspired the online post to tell the all-too-common story of a veteran being ignored by his country. Yet it falls agonizingly short of the greatness its aiming for.
Gonzalez creates a surreal fugue state of nightmarish imagery and anguish following Jonathan (James Preston) as he returns to civilian life after serving in the Vietnam war. Having been forced to serve as an option to get out of prison, he regrets ever agreeing to join the army, returning home a broken man. Stumbling through the motions, Jonathan finds a place to live and a job at a grocery store, but his internal struggles repeatedly get the best of him.
On the verge of killing himself, Jonathan chooses to find community at a support group. Unfortunately this only seems to throw gas on the fire. Led by the feckless Mrs. Anderson (Meredith Thomas) who is in way over her head, the support group for veterans repeatedly spirals out of control with the obnoxious Abbott (Aaron Dalla Villa) throwing cynical jabs at his fellow service men and instigating confrontation at any chance he can find.
The film nimbly jumps around in time and dances between the inner hell of Jonathan and the cruel reality he faces at home. We are never quite sure where we are or even when we are. Gonzalez keeps us guessing with scenes of stark reality and surreal imagery to solid effect. But, at the same time, we are never allowed too much footing and this hinders the connection we might have had for the characters. Take for instance the scenes in the support group. We know little about these men. We can only assume they are suffering as Jonathan does. Yet we are given no chance to know any of them aside from their stereotypical madness. I will be honest, I wish that the film would have stayed in that room a little longer to make these madmen human. Instead Gonzalez is aiming more for Jacob’s Ladder than Apocalypse Now.
I do have to call out Dalla Villa’s ferocious turn as Abbott. His wirey body language and crazy eyes say more about who his character is than any of his dialogue. Additionally, Preston gives a fearless, at times heartbreaking performance as Jonathan. We really want to see this man overcome his demons.
The point of The Plastic Men is how a single act of kindness can make the biggest difference in a person’s life. Jonathan could have been saved so much suffering in the beginning had anyone just stopped to listen. Instead he ends up near death, in a crumby support group, haunted by the tragic turn of events in his life. Gonzalez has crafted a heartfelt tribute to the veterans that have served their country along with a message of compassion and empathy. The Plastic Men is effective and entertaining but it can’t balance the deep message of humanity with the surreality it revels in.
