By The Numbers: Review of The Accountant

The Accountant 

Director: Gavin O'Connor 

By Alex Watson 

While The Accountant does have stretches where it succeeds as a straight thriller, its underdeveloped story, and misjudged feel are sorely lacking tension. Ben Affleck gives a committed performance, but even he cannot rise to give this movie the dramatic touch it badly needs. Director Gavin O'Connor seems to want to create some sort of autistic superhero and due to a ham-handed backstory for the character and its tendency to gloss over key character points leave us with a lack of empathy.

Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant who runs a small accounting practice, but his work is a mere front for his work does illegally accounting for some the world's most dangerous people. When he is recruited work for a big robotics firm run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow) he uncovers a significant amount of money going missing. During this time he comes across pretty accountant Dana (Anna Kendrick) and he is also been chased by Treasury agent Ray King (J.K Simmons). Where does the trail lead? The answer to that will involve bodies stacking up. 

O'Connor seems unsure about what way he wants to take The Accountant because it starts with some intriguing mystery as we see King talking to a colleague about this mystery figure who traces missing money for the baddies. Christian is a character who is very much a loner and to the films credit it does get a lot of details right about his condition as he doesn't like eye contact, has problems with social cues and is prone to fits of anger when he cannot finish something. What it loses points on is the depiction of his martial arts upbringing by his high ranking army father who groomed him from a young to be some kind of superhero. Also immediately, O'Connor throws believability out of the window when it is revealed that also his hideouts are filled the brim with all the latest fancy weaponry and he can drop everything and move within minutes.

The main problem is that so much of story feels confused and not much makes sense. At the centre is a potentially interesting story of corporate corruption, sadly due to a poor script by Bill Dubuque, motivations are confused and the plot becomes muddled from there. It seems like O'Connor is more interested in letting the bodies hit the floor that really explaining what is happening to his audience. Dana is a character that although introduced as the sweet romantic relief, is drastically underwritten to the point of being unnecessary. There is zero chemistry alongside Christian and the sloppy romance approach just feels awkward and unreal. His motivation for wanting to see her live is completely glossed over and seems like an eleventh-hour story addition. Similarly ill-explained are the intentions of mysterious man Braxton (John Bernthal) who goes from place to place makes bizarre threats but not clueing us into the bigger picture. 

A clumsy and mismatched ending with some predictable twists is also a big problem for The Accountant as things come full circle. What could have been a cold-blooded and remorseless finale is fumbled at the one-yard line by O'Connor who tries to add a comedic touch. Throughout we see Christian take aim with his huge sniper rifle and emotionlessly kill any number of hitmen with a brutal efficiency.  While the final moments do so his great killing ability it just feels a flavorless and dull end to this journey which doesn't bring its audience much joy. Its focus on how autistic are just people and capable of being stone cold killers feels like a big misjudgment when the story alone of Christian being the man who goes where the average fears to tread would have been fascinating alone. Gavin O'Connor has made some good films, Miracle and Warrior showed the bonds of brotherhood well, his thriller credentials remain in the balance. 

Ben Affleck does his best to bring Christian to life and on some levels, he does succeed because he handles the little details of his diagnosis well. His portrayal of this character as some kind of weapons Superman leaves his character feeling mismatched and he is never really able to recover from this tailspin. There are solid supporting turns for Anna Kendrick, J.K Simmons, and John Lithgow, but none really has much to work with and for a cast of this caliber they feel stranded in a weak story line. 

The Accountant is a thriller that could well have had more merits, but instead, the audience will have to stick to playing count the body numbers. 

 

Hello Darkness My Old Friend: Review of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Director: Zack Synder

By Alex Watson

On paper, this super-fight mash-up sounded like a win-win for all involved, sadly Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is frankly a false dawn. While it has brief moments that thrill, the continually dark and gloomy edge leaves the movie empty at its core. Zack Synder seems more focused in dazzling us visually rather than allow this movie to be a fun experience. What follows will likely leave you asking a number of questions when the end credits role.

Superman (Henry Cavill) is currently being hailed as both hero and villain after saving Metropolis in the last installment. Preventing Zod almost left a heavy cost to human lives and deeply affected one Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Wanting vengeance on the Man of Steel, Batman is also facing a bad rap from the media due to his excessive revenge crimes. Lurking in the shadows is one Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) who seems a little too interested in examining some found Kryptonite.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is a picture that feels too drawn out despite Synder's best intentions. The principle issues seems to be the favour of talk over action and like all VS installments, it takes it sweet time. Beginning during Superman's previous finale, Synder gives us a Roland Emmerich-style opening which sees Bruce Wayne frantically try to save his employees. This section does give an early thrill and it plants the bitter seed of conflict within Wayne as he seeks for survivors amongst metropolis wreckage. Batman in this piece is a paranoid, sociopathic wreck that brands his victims. Morally the man is suffering and his dreams are haunted by nightmares of giant flying bats. A new spin on his childhood is a pleasant change as it is shown to begin in 1981 (look for an advert for Excalibur). Jeremy Irons also fits in well as the new Alfred and is given a more in depth part than Michael Caine;s surrogate father. The hatred built up between the two men is justified, but sadly this feels like a lightweight affair.

Supes has also been hitting bad press and despite saving the planet, his seeming lack of conscience for human lives has alerted public conscience. "He is a man who answers to no-one!" cries one survivor to Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) and for once this movie does question his hero status. Scott McNairy appears a man who has been wrong by Superman and is keen for revenge. This side note does give us one very unexpected twist, but it doesn't really affect the picture.  On the other side, Clark Kent doesn't seem to be too fond of the Dark Knight's tactics. When finally together in the same room, it just doesn't conjure up that sizzling feeling required. Then along comes Lex Luthor, who in this picture is a floppy haired and tortured wiz kid who comes off more like a manic Energizer Bunny than a bad guy. His plotting fails to spark any interest and his schemes appear to be not thought through.

When the showdown finally hits, Synder lets his two leads run riot as they do battle in the slums of Gotham. Fists fly, walls crumble, krypton grenades blast and for a brief time we smile. The entertainment factor is decidedly low throughout so this injection of adrenaline keeps it on life support.However, this effect does not last due to the overuse of CGI and yet another air battle (what is it with superheroes and midair?) Synder soon sends this finale into a more bland and familiar territory. The long delayed big screen debut of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) gives us possibly the strongest character throughout and this warrior is gutsy to the bone. Her impact in this one might by limited, but it does tickle the interest as to what she can do in a full feature. Essentially this piece will begin to feel like an extended trailer for the Justice League by the climax.

Ben Affleck might not have been the fans favourite choice, but he does convince as Bruce Wayne. Unfazed by his failure as Daredevil, Affleck gives his Batman as a twisted logic and does well keep his characters thirst for payback suppressed. Henry Cavill does the best he can as Superman but is given precious little to work with. Had the writing been deeper then this could have been a great character study on his feeling beneath the cape. Instead Cavill is forced to feast on the generic scraps he is fed. Jesse Eisenberg comes off worst of all as Lex Luthor and his performance is very much a love/hate thing. Giving a very hammy overtone, Eisenberg lacks any sense of immediate threat and you have to wonder why either hero doesn't kill him within seconds of meeting him?

No doubt one of 2016's biggest misfires, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice should have been the first dose of summer fun. Now they will have to contend with the angry message board comments. Let's hope any errors get fixed for Justice League.

The Skin I Live In: Review of The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl

Director: Tom Hooper

By Alex Watson

A pair of electric performances from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander helps keep Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl alive. Although this is likely to secure both leads awards nominations, you can't help but feel this isn't a complete effort. The tale of Lili Elbe is one that is very humane and touching, but the script from Lucinda Coxon doesn't quite sparkle like we hoped. Hooper does well to give us a  powerful look at a person who risked it all to live comfortably in their own skin.

Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) is a success landscape artist living with his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) in Copenhagen. Together the pair lives a free-spirited and loving existence as they both paint. When her friend Ulla (Amber Heard) cannot make a sitting, Gerda asks Einar to stand in for her. What begins as an experiment turn into a life-changing experience for both. Soon Einar sheds his own existence and becomes a woman called Lili. From this, he will campaign to become who he was born to be.

The early stages of The Danish Girl have a fine playfulness to them, Einar at first jokingly puts on some tights and ballet shoes. Before long, it becomes like a spiritual awakening and watching him putting on a nurse dress for the first time is like watching him be reunited with an old lover. Gerda initially indulges this fantasy, one scene seems them dressing Einar up and taking him to a ball. His transformation into Lili is where the movie crosses over and what begins as a risque adventure soon becomes strained. Watching her husband kissing the smitten Henrik (Ben Whishaw) is like watch her life fracture before her eyes. "You're different from most girls" Henrik whispers, the irony hanging painfully on the air.

Centrally the inner struggle for Einar to live as himself and Lili is the main firing pin for the movie. Lili is now part of the marriage and Hooper invests equal time in examining the reactions from both sides. Einar tries to effectively get himself into the role, which includes this year's most interesting nude scene (think Ted Levine in Silence of the Lambs). Gerde, however, both flounders and embraces this new side of him. "I want to speak to my husband" she insists when dealing with a fully customed Lili. Rather than pushing her away from us, Hooper highlights her inner strength and understand of the tricky card she has been dealt. Wisely we are given a key supporting presence in Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), a former friend/lover of Einar who sparks a mutual attraction for both leads. Hans is the shoulder that bears the burden of the heavier third act.

Despite The Danish Girl being an excellently acted and beautifully made picture, you cannot help but feel there is a something missing. Perhaps it is the rather wayward middle act where the pair heads to Paris? During this sequence, there is perhaps a little too much of Einar's struggle. Gerde emerges as the real lead during this point, but although her feelings for Hans conflict with her love for Lili we get the impression that Hooper is filling time. Although the film struggles to keep up with the fine acting, it does give way to one of the most moving endings. Einar desire to become Lili is realized when he meets a doctor about sex reassignment. Stating he believes his is truly a woman, Gerde responds "I believe it too" Love is proven to survive change because the person underneath counts the most.

Eddie Redmayne gives the boldest and transformative role of his career. Firmly capturing a conflicted soul born in the wrong skin, Redmayne's plays almost a dual role. As Einar he is the man yearning for a difference, Lili is the one who embraces it and becomes his real voice. An assured nominee, Redmayne is a man at the peak of his talents. Alicia Vikander comes away as the real star of the picture. A strong willed and energetic presence, she stubbornly refuses to fall back into the loving wife role. Vikander carries the film where Redmayne cannot and effortlessly comes across as the emotional core of Hooper's film.

Outside of the two outstanding leads, The Danish Girl may not be the awards contender many predicted. This story is still a potent reminder of the difficulty of living a different life and the strength it will take to make a big change.

The Runaway: Review of Gone Girl

Gone Girl

Director: David Fincher

By Alex Watson

Gillian Flynn's novel Gone Girl was the subject of mass critical acclaim upon its release back in 2012. Its dark investigative theme of a man involved in a missing person case involving his wife became the perfect page turner. So who better to bring this the big screen than David Fincher? In recent years he has proven himself the master of black and bleak suspense, but will he be able to bring a beloved book to life?

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) is a former writer turned bar owner who used to enjoy a prosperous existence in New York his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). But the recession forced them to return to his home town of Carthage, Missouri. On the day of their fifth anniversary, Amy appears to have gone missing! But soon Nick finds himself at the centre of a massive media sensation and murder investigation as cracks in his story and their relationship begin to reveal themselves.

Gone Girl proves to be a fine adaptation of Flynn's novel and its shadowy story fits Fincher's direction like a glove. Aided by a stunning yet ghostly soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, he succeeds in grabbing the novel's raw feel. His direction is less ostentatious than before but his images are by no means less grabbing. The movie opens on a shot of Amy's head while Nick in voice over ponders the questions “What are you thinking?” “How are you feeling?” yet more importantly  “What have we done to each other?”But his wife is no easy book to read and this will be come the movie's recurring theme.

The first act like the novel, alternates between the past and the present and it is here that we get a glimpse into the life that was once was. Nick and Amy are the original cute couple and their early scenes together including a kiss during a sugar storm in a bakery have a bright glow to them. As his wife observes "We're so cute I could punch us in the face." but soon the dream becomes a fractured nightmare when Nick in a desperate state of mind returns them to Missouri and this paves the way for an awkward and increasing tense future! Nick's life soon becomes a living hell as he finds himself scrutinized by local detectives Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and her partner Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit), even his fiercely loyal sister Margo (a superb Carrie Coon) begin to doubt his innocent explanations!

Cleverly Fincher makes an observation of the media influence that often surrounds these events as Nick soon find his past, family and suspicious bumped up life insurance paperwork are aired out for the world to see! Talk shows are screaming bloody murder and the evidence against keeps increasingly mounting. But the film benefits from a smart change of pace midway through as a shocking revelation comes forward. Those who have read the novel will be familiar with this, but the shocks do not stop there as more lies and in some cases, extreme violence (a Fincher staple) come forward. Amy is a wife that you would instantly want to marry, but years down the track you may just realize that beneath the facade is perhaps the most troubling nemesis you could ever wish to face!

For all it's merits, Gone Girl trips up in the final act and slowly the air gets let out of this bursting at the seams story. A subplot involving Amy's obsessed ex-lover Desi (Neil Patrick Harris) doesn't quite ring true and the aftertaste to this whole thing feels flat. But you can't help escaping the feeling that in some ways this was inevitable because this is one love that is truly at war with itself and with Amy you can't go in guns blazing because she may be better equipped! This mistake aside, Fincher has still made a great version of this novel and few other directors could possibly have captured the dark side of love better than this man!

Ben Affleck makes for perfect casting as Nick Dunne, with the world continually question his recent casting as Batman, Affleck shows just what he can do in the right hands. Smartly, Affleck doesn't play Nick as an outright victim, just as a man pushed into the worst place on earth with nowhere to dig himself out! But Rosamund Pike is the one who steals the acting honours with an icy yet versatile performance as Amy. In possibly her biggest role to date, Pike makes for both a great femme fatale and the charming girl next door rolled into one. She brings to life Amy's complex and dangerous persona to great effect and makes you truly fear what may come.

Gone Girl is a movie that is guaranteed to make you think twice about the people that you love and will no doubt leaving dissecting events from the past. David Fincher is a man who has now officially earned his place among elite directors, just make sure you keep hiring Trent and Atticus because together great moments are made!