Director Peter Berg feels comfortable with the fixed formula he's found; the filming of a tragic true story which features a leading role for Mark Wahlberg. Understandably so, since it's worked twice before with terrific war drama Lone Survivor and distaster movie Deepwater Horizon. The opening scene of Patriots Day introduces Mark Wahlberg as the central hero, a promise that isn't fully realized. Caught in a mosaic of different perspectives, policeman Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) has only a modest share in fighting the movie's calamity
April 15, 2013, Patriots Day. A day that the American people have dedicated to celebrating the hard-won battle for freedom and independence. A fixed event on this day is the Boston Marathon, in which hundreds of amateur and competition runners participate annually. While the spectators from behind the crush barriers are encouraging the runners, a terrible scenario is taking place at that moment: in the middle of the audience a bomb explodes, resulting in the chaos and panic. To make matters worse, a second bomb explodes seconds later.
From that point on Peter Berg drags the audience at a murderous pace past all the characters and institutions involved in this act of terrorism. From injured bystanders to the high points of the FBI, and from local law enforcers to the perpetrators themselves. Switching between this party happens at a fast rate at times, but the dynamic energy and enormous tension that result from it are praise-worthy. With great attention to (horrific) detail, Berg reconstructs the disaster, with his own shot images seamlessly merging into the real video recordings, which have carefully integrated into the film in places. Berg's film is certinaly not a glorified documentary though, let that be clear.
The lack of nuance prevents the deepening of characters and the creaton of an emotionally complex drama. Simply put, a clear distinction has been made between good and evil: American police officers are the heroes, terrorists are the villains. The latter feel especially flat, like Hollywood thieves, because their motives are nowhere clear and they don't do anything but run away (until they're trapped). Even the relationship between the two Tsarnaev brothers feels somewhat cliché and underdeveloped. On the other hand we have the American government agencies who worry too much about self-glorification. Perhaps that's what to expect about a film with a patriotic title like this.
Despite the negatives, Patriots Day occasionally gives a punch in the stomach (with a sudden explosion of violence) and a lump in the throat (when the real survivors show up after the end). Althought somewhat perfunctory, the monologue of Wahlberg's character about combating hatred with loves falls in good graces.
A message that not only the city of Boston, but the whole world is working on. 7.5/10
Review by DeletedBlockedParent2018-07-10T19:52:56Z
Director Peter Berg feels comfortable with the fixed formula he's found; the filming of a tragic true story which features a leading role for Mark Wahlberg. Understandably so, since it's worked twice before with terrific war drama Lone Survivor and distaster movie Deepwater Horizon. The opening scene of Patriots Day introduces Mark Wahlberg as the central hero, a promise that isn't fully realized. Caught in a mosaic of different perspectives, policeman Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) has only a modest share in fighting the movie's calamity
April 15, 2013, Patriots Day. A day that the American people have dedicated to celebrating the hard-won battle for freedom and independence. A fixed event on this day is the Boston Marathon, in which hundreds of amateur and competition runners participate annually. While the spectators from behind the crush barriers are encouraging the runners, a terrible scenario is taking place at that moment: in the middle of the audience a bomb explodes, resulting in the chaos and panic. To make matters worse, a second bomb explodes seconds later.
From that point on Peter Berg drags the audience at a murderous pace past all the characters and institutions involved in this act of terrorism. From injured bystanders to the high points of the FBI, and from local law enforcers to the perpetrators themselves. Switching between this party happens at a fast rate at times, but the dynamic energy and enormous tension that result from it are praise-worthy. With great attention to (horrific) detail, Berg reconstructs the disaster, with his own shot images seamlessly merging into the real video recordings, which have carefully integrated into the film in places. Berg's film is certinaly not a glorified documentary though, let that be clear.
The lack of nuance prevents the deepening of characters and the creaton of an emotionally complex drama. Simply put, a clear distinction has been made between good and evil: American police officers are the heroes, terrorists are the villains. The latter feel especially flat, like Hollywood thieves, because their motives are nowhere clear and they don't do anything but run away (until they're trapped). Even the relationship between the two Tsarnaev brothers feels somewhat cliché and underdeveloped. On the other hand we have the American government agencies who worry too much about self-glorification. Perhaps that's what to expect about a film with a patriotic title like this.
Despite the negatives, Patriots Day occasionally gives a punch in the stomach (with a sudden explosion of violence) and a lump in the throat (when the real survivors show up after the end). Althought somewhat perfunctory, the monologue of Wahlberg's character about combating hatred with loves falls in good graces.
A message that not only the city of Boston, but the whole world is working on.
7.5/10