The 15:17 to Paris

Starring: Ray Corasani, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, Tony Hale, Jaleel White
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three Americans discover a terrorist plot on board a Paris-bound train.

Review:
Tim: The 15:17 to Paris might have had the best of intentions from director Clint Eastwood, the film itself doesn't live up to the most basic expectations. This isn't a very good film. Sure, Eastwood is talented enough to turn this into a decent effort, but some decisions made early in the production process set the film up for failure. In the end, this is a decent effort, but it's not memorable or entertaining enough.

There is a very legitimate question about whether this movie should have been made in the first place. Look, the actions of these three Americans were truly heroic. They saved many lives by their courageous, selfless actions. They are heroes. However, their story isn't all that cinematic. The terrorist attack on board the train only lasts a few minutes. Now, the depiction of this is exhilarating and exciting. However, it's a small fraction of the film's 1 hour, 34 minute run time. The rest of the film isn't all that compelling. Not every great action in the world needs a movie about it, and I'm not completely convinced this one should have been made. I love that the film informs the audience of these men and what they did. I actually learned a lot about what happened. I didn't pay all that much attention when the story was in the news. So, from that lens, the film is worthwhile. From an entertainment perspective, the film leaves quite a lot to be desired. The film is decent, but it's not all that good.

While I did enjoy how Eastwood depicted the terrorist attack (in a close up, intense manner), the rest of the movie was kind of dull. Again, not taking anything away from these three American heroes, but their story isn't all that cinematic. We see them as kids in school and learn how they became friends. There's some mildly entertaining scenes of one of them trying to get into the military. There's a number of webcam conversations. There's some scenes of watching them on vacation (think about how boring it it to have someone tell you about a vacation, and then put that on the big screen). Eastwood does a good job with the climax, but the rest of the movie isn't very good.

The other issue is that Eastwood cast the three Americans to play themselves. This was a controversial decision. On the one hand, it was extremely cool to see these men reenact the real-life events they lived through. On the other hand, none of them are good actors. And the movie gives them ample opportunity to act. Now, I will give Eastwood credit for getting as good performances out of them as he did. They are never terrible, which is a major achievement. Unfortunately, they're never that interesting. They might be playing themselves, but they don't know how to make the audience connect with and care about them. I personally would have cast actors- it would have made the movie more entertaining. Eastwood's approach was a novel one, but it doesn't pay off as much as it needed to.

The 15:17 to Paris tells the story of real-life heroes playing themselves. That's at least somewhat of a unique approach. Sure, it's been done before, but not that often. The movie might be worth seeing for that reason. Certainly, it's worth learning more about this story. Unfortunately, from a movie perspective, the film isn't especially entertaining or compelling. It's okay, it's decent, but it never rises more than that. Eastwood is a great director, but this one never came together as intended.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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