MOVIE REVIEW: TROOPER

FILMAKER CHRIS MARTINI SOLDIERS ON 

Written by Becca Bryan  

“Finally, a film producer that gets it right! Trooper may serve well to educate an unaware public about the epidemic level of emotional trauma that today’s young warriors are living with. It is a dark journey and this film captures its pain—and also gives us a glimmer of hope.” Rev. Bill McDonald Founder The Military Writer’s Society of America.

Independent films are often the underdogs of the film world. They can be made for very little money. Their stories are often true and if not, are based on true accounts. Their makers pour everything they have into the film so the story can be told.  Then they fight the uphill battle to get it funded and distributed. This is the case with the indie filmmaker Chris Martini, who wrote, directed and stars in his newest flick Trooper. 

Trooper is a story about father and son veterans trying to help each other cope with the adverse effects of combat after returning home. It’s an honest, stunning and raw film about one soldier’s struggle to cope with the after effects of combat while the rest of his life falls apart. Trooper was the Finalist in Screenplays at the 2008 Rome Independent Film Festival and placed in the Top 15% of scripts at the Nicholl Fellowship. 

When asked what compelled him to make Trooper, Martini, a non-Veteran, said “Trooper grew from the enormous amount of love and respect that I have for our fighting men and women, both overseas and the veterans here at home. I wanted specifically to make a film that deals with health care issues and veterans because I believe that our country has let our soldiers down enormously when it comes to these issues.”  

He tells this story which compelled him forward on Trooper. “One day I was walking through Grand Central Station and I saw a returning soldier, his face and neck still red from the desert. Nobody would look at him. In fact many looked down or away, because I think what he represented was something more powerful than their day to day concerns. He represented truth, light and purpose.  Something that might be very foreign to someone living in the city and trying to further their own gain or career. I stopped, thanked him for his service and observed as he tried to suppress
tears, as I did. It was a defining moment for me.”

 Martini was recently invited to screen it for the Military Writers Society of America 2009 conference attendees. These combat Veterans could have been harsh in their critique but instead embraced the film.  Ed Beesely, a Marine Vietnam Vet and author of “Lucky Enough” said: “Someone once said that "War is Hell" referring to the actual combat situation.  Many times the hell begins after the tour of combat is over.  Chris has done a great job portraying that in Trooper.  In watching the film, the combat veteran realizes that he is not alone in his struggle and those around him understand a little better why he is as he is.  Now let the healing begin.” Another distinguished Veteran, Bill Mc Donald, founder of the MWSA commented, “Trooper is the one film that has honestly captured the essence of what PTSD is like and how it is tearing this new generation of warriors apart. 

It’s about young warriors who are still fighting their own inner battles, when the gunfire is silent and the battlefields are thousands of miles away. This film has got it right!” Martini is the son of two artists who saw entertainers in their house regularly. These artistic types rubbed off on him and his brother, an actor and sister, a costumer. It’s easy to see where his talent originates. The entire family is rooted in the business.

 Other very notable films by Martini include “Desert Son”, a short 35mm film he made in 1999 won Official Selection, 1999 at the Webdance Film Festival. The Stone Child”, about a Lakota boy coming of age, which was selected for a total of over 20 US Film Festivals, was Nominated Best Native-American Film at the 2008 Trail Dance Film Festival and won the Bronze Remi at the 2008 Worldfest Houston International Film Festival. Making films to open peoples’ minds is what he loves to do most. Trooper will not only open your mind but will urge you to take action. 

To view his work, please visit:

• http://www.triplemartiniproductions.com/
• http://www.vimeo.com/user2396622/videos
• http://www.imdb.es/title/tt1282093/