Stronger

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Richard Lane Jr., Clancy Brown, Nate Richman, Lenny Clarke
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal) is standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon when the bombs explode, causing him to lose both his legs.

Review:

Tim: I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about movies about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. I was living in Boston at the time, and it's still hard to watch films about it. It bothers me when I think about them as entertainments, ways for Hollywood executives to make money off the tragedy. On the other hand, the stories reveal things about the human condition, inform people about events that they might not know much about. So, I went into Stronger hoping for the best.

What I didn't expect was to have enjoyed Patriots Day better than this film. That movie came out first and told the big picture story of the Boston Marathon bombing. It took too many creative liberties, but it gave you a sense for what it was like. Stronger focuses on a smaller story- it's the journey of one man who was severely injured in the bombing. I still enjoyed this film, but I liked it less than the first one to come out.

I appreciated that Jeff Bauman wasn't depicted as a saint. Yes, he was brutally injured in the bombing, but he was a regular guy, complete with complications and flaws. I felt like the movie depicted both the strengths and weaknesses of him as a character. It helps with Jake Gyllenhaal gives an absolutely incredible performance as Bauman. I was disappointed Gyllenhaal didn't receive much awards acclaim for this performance. While he does have big, emotional moments, it's the smaller, quieter moments where he delivers the most brilliant aspects of his performance. Gyllenhaal is one of the great actors working today, but he doesn't receive nearly enough acclaim. Maybe a decade from now, Hollywood will finally recognize he's one of the all-time greats. This was yet another remarkable performance from him. In fact, it is the number one reason to see this movie. He elevates the film, he makes the movie worth watching.

Now, while David Gordon Green directs a good movie around Gyllenhaal, he isn't able to elevate the story to match Gyllenhaal's performance. It feels like this happens several times every year- someone gives a truly remarkable performance, but the movie around them never reaches that same level. That's the case here. Green does a serviceable job- the film is solid. It tells Bauman's story and we learn about him, his crazy Boston family, his would-be girlfriend. We see him struggle with depression after losing his legs, trying to make sense of what happened to him and what it means for his life moving forward. Those scenes all work, but they aren't memorable or remarkable enough. Gyllenhaal is crushing his performance, but the story itself doesn't draw you in nearly enough. This is a film that should have been a player at the end of the year awards. It was nominated for zero Academy Awards (outside of one for Gyllenhaal, I agree with that standing). This feels like the kind of film that's just below the level needed for such acclaim. It was good, never really great.

I enjoyed learning more about Bauman's life and the movie does treat the subject matter with respect. This film feels like the celebration of a man who overcame trying times, not an attempt to cash in on tragedy. I appreciate Green for striking the right tone there. Still, while Stronger is a solid movie that I enjoyed, it needed to be better, it needed to match the level of it's star's performance.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Patriots Day