Triple Frontier

Starring: Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal, Adria Arjona
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Five former special forces operatives undertake a dangerous mission to assassinate a brutal dictator, and steal millions from his personal stash.

Review:

Tim: I probably would have missed Triple Frontier if it wasn't for this global Covid-19 pandemic and our need to shelter at home and catch up on streaming movies. I'm glad I watched it, because I very much enjoyed the film. Director J.C. Chandor has now directed four movies and I've enjoyed them all. This movie might not break any new ground, but it's an entertaining action film.

The film is boosted by a terrific cast. The movie spends nearly all of its time on its five leads and it's better for it. The story centers around these five friends and former special forces operatives who embark on a risky mission. It's critical that we learn to like and care for these five men and that happens here. I've really changed my thoughts on Ben Affleck in recent years. He went through a period where he kind of became a Hollywood joke, but he's been much better lately. I wouldn't say I loved his performance, but it's a solid one. You do grow to like his character. I appreciated his casting here. I'm a big fan of Oscar Isaac- it really feels like there's nothing he can't do. He has a big role in this, as he's the catalyst for much of the film's action. It's a strong performance- his character teeters between one you love and one you're not sure about. Isaac is able to deliver this complexity through his performance. I really enjoyed him in this movie. Charlie Hunnam is interesting. I railed against his bad performances early in his career (he was terrible in Pacific Rim, for example. However, somehow he's been giving stronger and stronger performances in the past few years. He's excellent here. He does so much in a quiet way that's easy to overlook. It's a strong performance, though- I had no complaints about him. I like Garrett Hedlund, too, althoug he can be a little hit-or-miss. His performance here wasn't the strongest of the group, but it worked. Pedro Pascal has been delivering solid performances in recent years, although he's shined brightest in television series like "Game of Thrones" and "The Mandalorian". I really appreciated that he got multiple opportunities to showcase his talent. One of the absolute joys of this movie is getting to see Affleck, Isaac, Hunnam, Hedlund, and Pascal work together. Each of these actors has emerged as strong, likeable talents and having them collaborate here is great fun. That's the biggest reason I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Adria Arjona added a good supporting performance- outside of the main five, she's the only member of the cast who got to do much of anything.

The screenplay by Mark Boal and J.C. Chandor is solid. It's intelligent and defies our expectations. You keep thinking the movie is going to choose the most obvious path forward and it continually subverts those expectations. The movie combines character development with some thrilling action sequences. I liked that it felt like the plot was complex and you could really dig into it. The sin of greed pops up in this film and the consequences of that are devastating. I appreciated that this film felt like it was about something. It prioritized the characters first and the action supported it (verses a movie like Extraction that prioritized the action over everything else). As a result, everything that happens is more meaningful and emotional.

Triple Frontier is a really effective movie. J.C. Chandor might not have pulled everything together into a great movie yet, but he's a remarkably consistent director. I've enjoyed each of his four movies and he's become a must-see director for me. This movie was a blast to watch and I can't wait to see what Chandor does next.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Margin Call, All is Lost, A Most Violent Year