Patriots Day

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan, Melissa Benoist, Alex Wolff, Themo Melikidze, Michael Beach, Jake Picking
Directed by: Peter Berg
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the events of the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013.

Review:

Tim: I didn't know how I'd feel about this movie. It was hard to watch a film that depicted recent, horrific events in the city I lived. I wasn't at the marathon that day, but I have an extremely close connection to it. I was in the city throughout the manhunt for the bombers. To see all that depicted in a entertainment form is a bizarre, jarring experience. On the one hand, I hated the exploitation of that event for commercial gain. On the other hand, I was happy that thousands of people throughout the country who weren't in Boston for those events would hopefully learn something more about what happened and what it was like living through that. In that light, this movie succeeds. While it's not a great film, it does paint a pretty clear picture of the terrorist attack and the aftermath. For that reason, I'd consider this a very solid movie.

The best parts of this film are the ones where they give insight into both the bombing and especially the aftermath. It was such a frightening time- no one knew who bombed the marathon finish line. No one knew if there was going to be more attacks. The film does a good job of showing that uncertainty. The hunt for the bombers was intense and certainly not without its mistakes. That was all depicted in detail. I loved that people who didn't pay as much attention when it happened would be able to at least be somewhat informed about the events through this movie. However, the most powerful part of this film was the depiction of when they shut the city down to catch the bombers. I'm getting chills writing this, just remembering that experience. That had never happened before- a city the size of Boston, completely shutting everything down, to find two people. The transit system was shut down, businesses were closed, citizens were strongly encouraged to stay inside. Everything was silent, eerily so. The manhunt shut the city down and its citizens sat at home, watching television. That depiction was so accurate that I couldn't help but watch through tears in my eyes, as the film brought all those memories to light. I loved that part of the movie.

The absolute worst part of the film was the amalgamation of different characters into Mark Wahlberg. It's a complete falsity that one person continually popped up during all these big events. It's not accurate and it was done purely for storytelling purposes. That might be a minor thing, but it was jarring to watch this obvious inaccuracy on screen. I know Wahlberg said he did this film because it guaranteed someone who loved Boston was going to be involved in making sure it was done right. Maybe it's true, or maybe it was pandering, but it still felt sleazy to watch history edited so heavily.

I do give Wahlberg credit for portraying a normal Bostonian. It wasn't a big stretch for him, but it felt authentic. I loved John Goodman in his surprisingly accurate portrayal of Commissioner Ed Davis. J.K. Simmons and Kevin Bacon are always good and both added solid supporting turns here. Michelle Monaghan continually is underutilized, so it's no surprise to see that happen here. Melissa Benoist was solid casting and I have to give Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze credit- they truly looked like the bombers and both gave convincing performances. The cast here was really solid.

Peter Berg directs a good film through and through. It did feel a little more informative than entertaining, but you definitely wanted to err on that side. Patriots Day was hard for me to watch because I lived through those events. I truly hate the commercialization of tragedy, but I hope that this movie does some good. I hope it paints a vivid picture of the horrendous, cowardly act those two pieces of human scum perpetrated. I hope it shows how strong the city and the people of Boston are- that no terrorist will ever keep Bostonians (or Americans) down. That the terrorists accomplished none of their objectives, that the city and the people came back from this stronger than ever. I've personally been to every Marathon since the bombing. Every year, I do it to send the message that terror will never win. If this film helps convey that message, then I'm glad it was made.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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