Patriots Day (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Patriots Day' (directed by Peter Berg, who also did this yr.'s riveting Deepwater Horizon) is an intense bio-drama based on the April 15, 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon, the subsequent fall-out, & the crazed manhunt to bring down the terrorists who planned it. I was glued to the screen during this somewhat heavy-handed action/thriller, but best of all is the overarching theme of courage, perseverance, & how Boston responded to this act of terror {Boston Strong, folks}. Begrudgingly assigned to duty on the marathon finish line, feisty Police Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg, playing a composite character of several cops) has a sore knee from a work incident the night prior, so he calls his lovely wife (Michelle Monaghan) to bring him his knee brace. Meanwhile, 2 Muslim rebels, Tamerlan & Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze, Alex Wolff), are cooly & calmly making nail-filled bombs.
When the explosions go off amid an enthusiastic crowd of civilians, there is carnage & pandemonium, as first responders heroically rush to help in any way they can; though, inadvertently separating injured families by dispatching victims to separate hospitals. Inevitably, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis (the always stellar John Goodman) clashes with the FBI's stoic Richard DesLauriers (the always stellar Kevin Bacon) during the methodical, sleepless 4-day investigation & ensuing manhunt, particularly about WHEN to release the terrorists' photos to the media -- too soon gives the culprits a chance to bolt or react, but the city is understandably restless. The most fascinating participant in the manhunt is Dun Meng (scene-stealing Jimmy O. Yang), the Chinese immigrant who was carjacked in his Mercedes by the terrorists. Escaping at a gas station stop {tense scene - like most in this film}, he called 911, revealing the terrorists' grave intention to bomb Time Square, and helped in directing the police to Watertown; where the climactic shootout unfolds. Through it all, the great city of Boston shows that love always trumps hate.
Wahlberg & director/co-writer Peter Berg have previously collaborated on Deepwater Horizon (from earlier in 2016) about the deadly oil explosion in the Gulf & 2013's Lone Survivor, which showed a Navy SEAL mission gone terribly wrong -- so they know how to make a good docudrama. They find the pulse of the city; showing extraordinary moments from ordinary citizens, giving the film a palpable sense of community. Berg follows all these characters (from all walks of life), weaving their intertwining stories in-&-out of the plot with great skill. 'PD' is compulsively watchable. And with this movie, he proves once again what a fantastic director of pulse-pounding action scenes he has become; I'm even reminded of 2007's excellent The Kingdom. 'PD' works not only as an edge-of-your-seat action/thriller (that often made me turn my head to the side from nervousness), but also as a film about heroes.
Wahlberg is the rock of the film as the composite everyman cop; even lending a very emotional living room couch scene as he decompresses from the heart wrenching stress of the bombing day. Michelle Monaghan is fine as his wife; though, the role is limited. John Goodman is great as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who runs matters with steely nerves. JK Simmons is solid as Sgt. Jeff Pugliese, a Watertown cop who finds himself thrust into the middle of a shootout. Jimmy O. Yang is excellent as the Chinese man who was kidnapped by the par ... but turns the tables on 'em. And both Themo Melikidze & Alex Wolff are standouts as the chilling terrorists. Berg, Wahlberg, this entire cast, & the filmmakers involved should take pride in this pretty remarkable cinematic achievement.
'PD' a well-meaning & well-executed movie. Even though this event occurred just 3.5 yrs. ago, I had forgotten so many of the details of that week; so I was continually surprised. The narrative juggles storylines concerning the major players, the terrorists, the victims, the 1st responders, & the investigators ... so well. That's a credit to the slick, forceful editing. More on that: this film works with the momentum of a Dateline crime expose episode, but amped-up to cinematic heights + profanity. Speaking of profanity, I have no doubt that these real-life characters cursed a lot. But boy does this film not hold back in having us hear their spicy language throughout. I just don't think it was necessary; but that's me. I also feel like there are some moments where the real story ... might not have gone down as shown (embellishments). But this is a movie, not a documentary. 'Patriots Day' is visceral, suspenseful, & ultimately inspirational despite my minor issues with it.
When the explosions go off amid an enthusiastic crowd of civilians, there is carnage & pandemonium, as first responders heroically rush to help in any way they can; though, inadvertently separating injured families by dispatching victims to separate hospitals. Inevitably, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis (the always stellar John Goodman) clashes with the FBI's stoic Richard DesLauriers (the always stellar Kevin Bacon) during the methodical, sleepless 4-day investigation & ensuing manhunt, particularly about WHEN to release the terrorists' photos to the media -- too soon gives the culprits a chance to bolt or react, but the city is understandably restless. The most fascinating participant in the manhunt is Dun Meng (scene-stealing Jimmy O. Yang), the Chinese immigrant who was carjacked in his Mercedes by the terrorists. Escaping at a gas station stop {tense scene - like most in this film}, he called 911, revealing the terrorists' grave intention to bomb Time Square, and helped in directing the police to Watertown; where the climactic shootout unfolds. Through it all, the great city of Boston shows that love always trumps hate.
Wahlberg & director/co-writer Peter Berg have previously collaborated on Deepwater Horizon (from earlier in 2016) about the deadly oil explosion in the Gulf & 2013's Lone Survivor, which showed a Navy SEAL mission gone terribly wrong -- so they know how to make a good docudrama. They find the pulse of the city; showing extraordinary moments from ordinary citizens, giving the film a palpable sense of community. Berg follows all these characters (from all walks of life), weaving their intertwining stories in-&-out of the plot with great skill. 'PD' is compulsively watchable. And with this movie, he proves once again what a fantastic director of pulse-pounding action scenes he has become; I'm even reminded of 2007's excellent The Kingdom. 'PD' works not only as an edge-of-your-seat action/thriller (that often made me turn my head to the side from nervousness), but also as a film about heroes.
Wahlberg is the rock of the film as the composite everyman cop; even lending a very emotional living room couch scene as he decompresses from the heart wrenching stress of the bombing day. Michelle Monaghan is fine as his wife; though, the role is limited. John Goodman is great as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who runs matters with steely nerves. JK Simmons is solid as Sgt. Jeff Pugliese, a Watertown cop who finds himself thrust into the middle of a shootout. Jimmy O. Yang is excellent as the Chinese man who was kidnapped by the par ... but turns the tables on 'em. And both Themo Melikidze & Alex Wolff are standouts as the chilling terrorists. Berg, Wahlberg, this entire cast, & the filmmakers involved should take pride in this pretty remarkable cinematic achievement.
'PD' a well-meaning & well-executed movie. Even though this event occurred just 3.5 yrs. ago, I had forgotten so many of the details of that week; so I was continually surprised. The narrative juggles storylines concerning the major players, the terrorists, the victims, the 1st responders, & the investigators ... so well. That's a credit to the slick, forceful editing. More on that: this film works with the momentum of a Dateline crime expose episode, but amped-up to cinematic heights + profanity. Speaking of profanity, I have no doubt that these real-life characters cursed a lot. But boy does this film not hold back in having us hear their spicy language throughout. I just don't think it was necessary; but that's me. I also feel like there are some moments where the real story ... might not have gone down as shown (embellishments). But this is a movie, not a documentary. 'Patriots Day' is visceral, suspenseful, & ultimately inspirational despite my minor issues with it.