Patriots Day
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Peter Berg
A gripping true story – still fresh in the minds of many – gets a big-screen adaptation in Peter Berg’s recreation of the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing.
Tragedy struck on Apr. 15, 2013, after two pressure-cooker bombs, planted by terrorists near the finish line, exploded during the annual race, leaving a nation in shock while subsequently galvanizing a city in a dramatic manhunt. Mark Wahlberg stars as Sgt. Tommy Saunders (a composite character based on real police officers who worked the case), along with Kevin Bacon as FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers and John Goodman portraying Commissioner Ed Davis. These players are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a strong ensemble effort, and each has a chance to shine in respective moments, including Khandi Alexander and Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist in a particularly chilling interrogation scene.
Patriots Day marks the third pairing of director Berg with actor Wahlberg, and is arguably their finest work together. The flick eschews a standard paint-by-numbers approach in favour of taut, meticulous pacing and an emphasis on character over action. The movie’s sequences of violence are sometimes brief but always effective, and the often delicate subject matter is handled tastefully.
The film runs into the inevitable cliché-riddled script problems and suffers from some sentimentality issues. However, given the harrowing nature of the story and Berg’s admirably deliberate reigning-in of sensationalism, Patriots Day represents mature filmmaking rarely seen in its genre, making for one astounding thriller.
