It is a performances centric movie

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Great performances from the whole cast but especially Monaghan. Also, good to see John Savage again - in a small role as Maggie's father. Movie deals more than just with the situation facing returning vets, also with the complexities of modern families.

And not much more. The acting is pretty decent though, but the past couple of years have produced way to much American propaganda (Camp X- ray, American Sniper, etc). The story line was sort of interesting and the twist of the mother re- enlisting was a delightfully unexpected turn of events, as well as the Mexican guy and her not making any promises when they said goodbye. I tried to interpret this as two lives ruined by war, which is a much more realistic representation of reality than expecting a "happily ever after" kind of ending.The last scene was fairly sad, but if you go to Afghanistan to fight for the world's leading warmonger and terrorist organization, the United States of America, this is what you can kind of expect.

A wonderful but heartbreaking little gem, with Michelle Monaghan turning in a world-class performance not unlike Emily Blunt's in Edge of Tomorrow. God, can she be tough, especially in the scenes where she goes toe to toe with fellow soldiers--not all of whom are, shall we say, evolved. Speaking of evolved, the scenes of development between her and her son are first-rate, and the kid is remarkable (unless, like Shirley Temple, the director told him his puppy had just died before his big scenes.) From my own experience with the new and improved all-volunteer army as well as with the Vietnam era Big Green Machine, I think the writer-director absolutely nailed the catch-22 world in which the troops find themselves. Torn between loyalty to family and duty, the insatiable demands of a too-small force with too many endless missions, and everybody, from the beleaguered O-3 who has lost his own family to the squad leader E-5 who sees only his own selfish need, without a clue to the dueling pressures upon his platoon sergeant.This movie, little as it is, forces us to really see the consequences of what we blithely demand of those few poor enough, idealistic enough, or loyal enough to sign up for what turns out not to be the gateway to a better life but rather an endless treadmill that grinds them and their loved ones up while the rest of us sit back here with our stupid yellow ribbon car magnets and "thank them for their service." This movie should be required viewing in Congress and the White House.

Having sat on the sidelines of various action movies and thrillers, including but not limited to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Source Code, Mission Impossible: III and this year's True Detective, it's great to see Michelle Monaghan lead a good meaty drama. It's a premise also explored this year with Clint Eastwood's American Sniper but arguably one more interesting through a mother's eyes.Returning home from duty, medic Maggie Swann (Monaghan) finds herself replaced in her son's eyes by her (Ron Livingston in a good small role) ex-husband's new wife (Emmanuelle Chriqui). As a result of her frequent absences, he doesn't even recognize her. Taking custody back from her ex, she tries to reinstate herself as her son's mother, starting their relationship with a fresh slate. Fort Bliss captures the anxiety of the fact that we can get to a point where we can no longer catch up, no matter how close we should be.Maggie thrives in service more than motherhood. She's not a bad mother by all means, but sometimes she simply lacks the patience. Monaghan plays it stern but sensitive, holding her cards close to her chest only revealing aspects of herself when necessary. It's a very controlled and layered performance that shows what she can do when given the leading opportunity.I just wish the kid actor, Oakes Fegley, wasn't so unbearable. Sure, the kid is a brat, that's the point, but it's near intolerable. His performance is not well measured, or guided by writer/director Claudia Myers into a passable unrestrained performance like Noah Wiseman in this years The Babadook. The film hinges on the kid and as he lacks charisma the goal of bonding with him is not an enticing one.The plot glides perhaps a little too smoothly, though it is very character orientated. For instance, Maggie suggests whether her son wants a bigger room to run around in and the next minute they've moved house. The writing often lacks a sensitivity to consequence when the tone of the performances and photography suggest otherwise. It could have benefited from a lot more focus as assorted characters and flashbacks drift in and out of Maggie's life without enough development to justify their prominence.Although it needed various trimmings, the power of its main ideas remains stark. Besides the idea of losing touch with those you should be closest to, it subverts the mother and father role in this context, questioning why when men have to work it's fine yet when women have to it means they're a bad mother. It puts you in a very interesting, if justifiably confrontational perspective. The film isn't all agenda driven arguments with a few tense Hurt Locker style passages to reveal more about the why of Maggie.Combined with the great performances, it has an appropriately desert bleached and subdued shaky-cam cinematography mixed with a Gustavo Santaolalla-esque score to give it a rugged aesthetic.Fort Bliss is an often intimate and involving film, but it doesn't offer enough to be completely satisfying unless you relate to it in a very specific way. But this is the Monaghan show and it's is essential viewing for any fans of her work so far. If only she could get some kind of awards traction, it would be thoroughly deserved.7/10Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com/)