Boston Strong: Review of Patriots Day

Patriots Day

Director: Peter Berg

by Alex Watson

The devastation caused by the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing is brought painstakingly to life by Peter Berg. Patriots Day is a movie bolstered by an excellent cast who reflect the horrors witnessed and how a city attempts to rise again. Tobias Schliessler's jittery photography makes our nerves twitch even before the explosion hits. Director Peter Berg's pacing of the story and research of the 4-day manhunt that ensued is excellent. Boston Strong rings true in this picture and the courage displayed is a fitting tribute.

Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) is positioned at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. When a series of explosions happen, he and the Boston Police are faced with a frightening scenario. Forced to surrender control to FBI agent Richard Deslauriers, Saunders along with Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) search high and low for the culprit. Meanwhile, a series of unrelated characters such as Watertown Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K Simmons), Chinese entrepreneur Dun Meng (Jimmy Yang) and MIT Security guard Sean Collier (Jake Picking) will find themselves facing life changing moments.

 From the first frame of Patriots Day, there is an eerie sense of dread lurking. Watching characters waking up bright and happy and going about their daily routines only intensifies the devastation. Tommy Saunders is a man who is working his way back into the good books of the Police, but agreeing to wear the 'clown vest' at the marathon. Situated mere yards away, Berg makes feel the full effect when the two pressure cooker bombs detonate. Saunders despite his leg injury has to act fast and he sees first hand how a peaceful day has turned into hell on earth. The bombs were placed at ground level, so many people have had their limbs blown clean off. Saunders and co are forced to take control quickly and it is in the moment we feel a strength setting in. We all know this moment is coming- the fact we sit powerless to prevent is what really shakes us. Seeing happy couples like Jessica Kensky (Rachel Brosnahan) and Patrick Downes (Christopher O'Shea) clinging to their lives is bound to hit the spot.

The aftermath is like a whirlwind and Berg rarely pauses for breath as the manhunt goes forward. Both Davis and Deslauriers bicker about whether or not to release pictures of their suspected subjects? One area where the movie both rises and falls in the depiction of bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze and Alex Wolff). Presented as your ordinary pair of quarrelling brothers, Berg is careful not trespass into overblown and cliche territory. One of the harder aspects of this picture, it deserves credit for being so underplayed and the believability of the performances. The brothers are responsible for arguably the pictures most tense sequence when Dun Meng finds himself carjacked. This one act alone brings us further into their subconscious and their casual approach to more possible mayhem is utterly chilling. The women in this picture aren't given quite the same fair shake, Carol Saunders (Michelle Monaghan) is given little to work with other than look supportive. However, Melissa Benoist gets a powerful scene as Tamerlan's committed wife Katherine Russell.

We can feel their desperation setting in as the police cling to all possible clues. Pugliese emerges as pictures real hero as he heroically stands up to pipe bombs during an explosion filled final act. The ordinary officer pushed into the line of duty, not once does he flinch. Saunders is a character who is made out to be the main man of the piece when in reality he is devoted side character. Berg's praise and commitment in showing the courage and sacrifice of all Boston citizens make each character heroic. Security Guard Collier was murdered in his car for refusing to surrender his gun to the bombers. From the governor declaring marshal law to Dun Meng's display of impulsive bravery, every person is doing their bit.  Patriots Day is not just about a city recovering, it is a film about people standing up and being counted. David Gordon Green's companion piece 'Stronger' also debuts in 2017, it will be tough to raise Berg's efforts.

Mark Wahlberg might be first billed as Tommy Saunders but he is by no means the main star. While his impassioned performance might impress in some areas, in others he falls flat. Wahlberg is used to this type of brave role, but Tommy is not always likeable. His whining of Deslauriers taking charge makes out him out to be an insufferable brat. J.K Simmons provides excellent support as Pugliese and he ably defines his cool under pressure as he willing goes up against the brothers. Kevin Bacon and John Goodman are drastically underused as the respective head law figures. Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze both measure their performances well as the Tsarnaev brothers. Wolff is particular is excellent as the younger more youthful obnoxious sibling.

Patriots Day is a movie that exemplifies a cities struggle but also shows the gritty determination Boston showed trying to heal. Made with a lot of affection, if more blockbusters can show this type of heart it is a very good sign indeed.

Ocean of Oil: Review of Deepwater Horizon

Deepwater Horizon

Director: Peter Berg

By Alex Watson

As a director Peter Berg is able to convey disasters well, his previous effort Lone Survivor with Mark Wahlberg was a thrilling yet poignant tribute to man's instinct to survive the odds. His latest picture Deepwater Horizon chronicles the 2010 disaster which resulted in the biggest oil spill and the worst oil rig disaster in history. After original director J.C Chandor stood done, many wondered how precisely Berg would approach this subject? This picture full analyses how greed by big corporations and unsafe practices can result in things going array very quickly.

Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) is a Chief Electrician on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. When arriving with his superior Mr. Jimmy (Kurt Russell) and co-worker Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez), they realize that the contractors BP are massively behind schedule are trying to recoup lost time by sidestepping important measures for rig safety. Although their superiors assure them all is fine, their negligence will soon result in a disaster that will put all lives on the line.

The first hour of Deepwater Horizon is a finely tense affair and Berg ensures our anticipation and dread is cranked up to the max. The opening is a calm and blissful affair as we see Mike bonding with his wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) and his daughter. Out of the grizzled rig vets on screen, Mike is the only one we really get to know and seeing his family again becomes an important character strength. When the crew arrives on site, things begin to technical and Berg doesn't hold back on jargon such as blowout preventers, kill lines, and negative pressure tests.  Mr. Jimmy is highly suspect about the methods being used by his BP bosses and when he notices they are 43 days behind, his suspicions are confirmed. Every little creak and bump that we hear in the rig could be a potential hazard.

Donald Vindrie (John Malkovich) is an arrogant BP bigwig who acts as if he knows the drilling business like a second nature and his over confidence and shortsightedness are what derails events. He is the very face of corporate corruption that values the dollar over their worker's safety. The underwater pipes are heavily overloaded and could burst at any second. To master the tension, each shot we see of a negative pressure test and the gasket meter running in the red zone makes our hearts jump. Vindrie sternly refutes that the pipe is the problem, not the overloading, Mr. Jimmy can see a disaster brewing but is powerless to intervene due to the stubbornness of the people above him. All around us, we cannot tell whether the workers or the rig will blow first?

When the explosion occurs at first it is a horrifying mixture of mud and flames, but asides from a quick burst Deepwater Horizon is unable to make use of the needed action. Everything that can catch fire does and what starts as a minor explosion soon becomes a fiery tomb. There are some nervy moments watching Mike sulking around corridors of the wrecked rig looking for any survivors. Unfortunately, these moments are seldom seen and it leaves a dampener on what has been a great ride. Each time either Mike, Jimmy or anyone attempts to kill off the flames, we all know that saving this place is a foregone conclusion. For the final segment, it just feels like Berg is attempting to draw more minutes out when it should focus on the workers running for safety. Aside from this slight lapse, this is still a fine tribute to the bravery and courage that people demonstrate when things are on the line.

Mark Wahlberg proves to be Peter Berg's go to guy when he needs acting chops and as Mike Williams, he gives a fine performance of an every man faced with an impossible task. A likeable family man, Mike is the one look we get at workers off the rig and his quiet intensity is what sets him apart. Kurt Russell also makes for fine supporting fodder as Mr. Jimmy, his weary and frustrated manner with his BP superiors is what gives this picture some friction. His character might appear to be a typically cliched one, but Russell owns every minute of his screen time. Skilled at villainy, John Malkovich is perfectly oily (no pun intended) as Donald Vindrie. Coming across the kind of self-serving swine you always cross in corporate offices, Malkovich perfectly emphasizes the meddling forces at bay.

Deepwater Horizon is a fine disaster piece and firmly demonstrates the heroics taken on what has become one of the worst disasters this century.