War is hell, and the devil sometimes follows you home from it...

Newcomer Scottish director Brian Welsh's second feature, In Our Name, is a brave and moving exploration of what it's like for soldiers returning from war to suddenly adjust to the relative peace of civilian life.

Having undergone gunner training in North-West Iraq, Suzy returns home fourteen months later to a welcome party and Union Jack flags. At first she's seems unaffected by her “tough but rewarding” tour; but as the days pass, her husband, Mark, notices she's emotionally and sexually withdrawn, and fellow officer Paul describes her as “out of it”.

Haunted by the memory of a young Iraqi girl's death, for which Suzy feels responsible, having given the reluctant child sweets only to later see her gunned down for communicating with soldiers. Her own daughter, Cass, acts as a constant reminder of the event for Suzy, and she soon becomes unhealthily obsessed with protecting her - the gang outside her house become a threat, her daughter's bike is stolen, their gate lock is broken and Cass goes missing after school. As acute paranoia grows, the sounds of amusement arcades freak out Suzy and she describes her surroundings as being “like the Blitz”, feeling safer in army attire and stealing a firearm, putting her daughter's life at risk.

Brian Welsh's depiction of a society reminiscent of war-torn countries with graffiti-filled and run-down neighbourhoods helps viewers to understand Suzy's warped perspective. Perhaps the most touching scene is when Suzy reluctantly gives a talk to the class of her teacher sister Marie. Recalling the rubble, dust, mortars and rockets raining down nightly, Suzy describes “the churning feeling in your stomach like butterflies”, and how war is like that 24 hours a day. Aside from revealing some of the horrors of war experienced first hand, In Our Name tellingly exposes the morbid public preoccupation with death, as pupils and friends repeatedly ask what the worst thing Suzy saw was and how it felt to kill.

Also a British gunner, Suzy's husband Mark grows equally paranoid - but not for their safety. As army colleagues share tales of unfaithful female soldiers pleasuring their male counterparts, he becomes increasingly suspicious of Suzy's fidelity. Coupled with his own violent mentality, Mark is viewed as a “psychopath” by Paul after he threatens to “bite [his] fucking face off”. His sick garage of kill mementoes foreshadows the most disturbing and uncomfortable scene in the film, where Mark dangerously boasts of “blasting the shit out of raggis, pakis... all for Queen and country”.

In Our Name is a distant observation of one woman trying to reintegrate into society, and whose husband is also somewhat mentally unbalanced. Unlike other films following similar subject matter, such as Brothers, Welsh uses her main character to broach the subject from the entirely fresh perspective of motherhood. The slightly sinister final dedication to the thousands of service men and women incarcerated in British prisons after attempting to return to civilian life is moving, captivating and thought-provoking. Director Brian Welsh is certainly one to look out for, as are his excellent female lead (Downton Abbey) and child actress.

Director/writer: Brian Welsh
Running Time: 90 mins
Certificate: 18
Starring: Joanne Froggatt, Mel Raido, Chloe Jayne Wilkinson, Andrew Knott

In Our Name is released in the UK tomorrow

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