*** The latest entry in the sentimental-veteran genre, Mending the Line stars Sinqua Walls as John, a guilt-ridden Marine who served in the war in Afghanistan. Shuffled between various Veteran Affairs offices, John lands in Montana and eventually starts fly-fishing therapy with Ike (Brian Cox of Succession fame), a crabby Vietnam veteran. There’s not really much in the way of surprises, but Mending the Line is strengthened by its sincerity and the excellent chemistry between Walls and Cox. At two hours, the premise does feel a little stretched, mostly because John’s love interest, Lucy (Perry Mattfeld), could have easily been edited out (personally, I was more worried about John’s paraplegic war buddy, who disappears from the film and is implied to be descending into alcoholism). Yet despite its detours, Mending the Line brings us close to its broken-down veterans, delivering a sympathetic depiction that transcends politics. R. WILLIAM SCHWARTZ. City Center, Division, Movies on TV.

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