TRIAGE

...neither here nor there...

For some reason it’s all too easy to compartmentalize war, as though we can remove the survivors from the battle zone, clean them up, nurse their wounds, and pretend that the whole thing is over.  But it’s not.  Triage illustrates that the emotional and physical scars remain long after they become invisible to the outside world.

Colin Farrell stars as Mark Walsh, an ambitious Irish photojournalist whose work often leads him into dangerous situations.  With his dear friend and colleague, David (Jamie Sives), at his side, Mark divides his life into two separate areas: work and home.  The line begins to blur, however, when David becomes an expectant father.  It’s no longer possible for him to forget about home when he’s in the line of fire, and the reality of what could go wrong is ever-present in his mind.  Unable to shift gears, Mark still wants to “get in and get out”, always pushing for one more shot. 

Though the story unfolds out of sequence, we soon learn that Mark has returned home from his latest assignment without David.  Obviously David’s pregnant wife is distraught, and something is clearly wrong with Mark.  His old m.o. of drawing a line between work and home has failed him: even as he sits in his armchair or lies in the embrace of his wife, Elena (Paz Vega), Mark is still lost in a war zone.

In an effort to bring back the man she married, Elena calls upon her father, Dr. Joaquin Morales (Christopher Lee).  Following a series of therapy sessions and a great deal of mental anguish, Mark finally reveals what happened in Kurdistan and what became of David.  By that point, the guilt he carries has driven him to the brink of self-destruction.

In theory, Triage is a moving look at the unseen casualties of war and a unique depiction of survivor’s guilt.  In practice it’s a scattered piece of filmmaking that leaves the viewer as confused as Mark himself.  Mentally and emotionally he is neither here nor there, and sadly, neither is the movie.  With a slightly more linear approach, it would be far easier to appreciate the performances and focus on where the story is going rather than constantly wondering where we’re at.

DVD NOTES

Extra features include extensive cast interviews, a making-of featurette, B-takes, and the theatrical trailer.