Peter Berg's Patriots Day is a taut and tense drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon terrorist attack that left numerous people dead and badly injured. Unfolding very much like Peter Greengrass' similarly themed but superior 2006 film, United 93, it introduces us to several people early on that fateful day, then lets us follow them as each participates in the incident one way or another. The movie wisely never preaches, but instead presents us with Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), who drops the F bomb like it's going out of style, and appears rather sympathetic as a limping officer who cares more about the victims than the FBI agent in charge of the operation, Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon, looking like he just stepped into this movie from the set of Mystic River). The fact that the bombings in question took place rather recently, and that its coverage by the media has already made most everyone well aware of who, what, when and how may keep the sense of suspense a bit lower than expected. And even though the additional news footage and testimonies from the real-life characters prior to the end credits is superfluous and unnecessary, Patriots Day is still a well made film for everyone looking to wave their red, white and blue flag while honoring the victims of this horrific event.
B
No comments:
Post a Comment