The Accountant (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 128 minutes
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Writer: Bill Dubuque
Cast: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jeffrey Tambor

The Accountant opens in Australian cinemas on November 3 and is distributed by Roadshow Films.

There will be those who look at Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant purely as an action film and to look at the film from this perspective will mean missing what is truly special about it. Although at times the screenplay tries to be a little too clever, The Accountant has a great deal of heart accompanied by impressive action and fine performances by the cast.

Maths savante, Christian Woolf (played by Ben Affleck) may seem like a quiet, suburban financial accountant, but he really leads a double life uncooking books for some of the most dangerous people on the planet and Christian himself is no stranger to violence. His latest job finds him working for a robotics company trying to discover where there is a discrepancy of a great deal of money, but when he does discover what he was hired to find there are deadly repercussions and he and co-worker, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) must move as quickly as they can so they do not become part of the rising body count.

From the outside, The Accountant looks like your typical action film with its suspense driven narrative and high paced combat scenes. If you judge the film primarily by defining it within the boundaries of this genre, it perhaps doesn't meet the expectations placed on it. However, The Accountant  is about a great deal more than just a financial accountant who leads a double life. The protagonist Christian Woolf has a high functioning form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the film is therefore a champion for those who live with or are affected by ASD. It is refreshing to see in cinema a film which shows that autism is not always as noticeable in people as it is widely perceived as being. The film doesn't dwell on the more predictable theme of different being special, but does show how people with the disorder who are high functioning can still live a normal life (or relatively normal in this case).

One of the common and often more noticeable features of autism is that those who are living with the disorder tend to struggle with social interaction, but what The Accountant shows is that this doesn't mean that they don't long for a relationship with someone whether it be platonic or romantic. While some may see this film as being an action film with a character who just happens to be autistic, The Accountant is essentially a film about a man with autism who, like many others in the film, is reacting to the need to keep those that he connects with safe by any means possible. It is evident that Christian still suffers from and is deeply affected by the losses of those close to him and the reason he takes to Dana Cummings so easily is because she is not deterred by his social awkwardness which many others find unsettling.

This idea of us as human beings looking for a connection and trying to understand one another resonates through the screenplay. The Accountant basically has two storylines that do not intersect with each other on screen at any one time. While Christian and Dana are running for their lives, the Treasury Department is also trying desperately to find out who The Accountant really is. This part of the screenplay involving Ray King (J.K Simmons) and Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) almost seems worthless at times and the dialogue between the two can often become a lot more complicated than it has to be, but towards the end of the film one realises that they were also there to support the ideology of everybody needing to make a connection.

Ben Affleck completely disappears into the complex character of Christian Woolf. He not only masters the features of a high functioning autistic man (including lack of eye contact and certain mannerisms) with grace and subtlety, but also is able to show the inner torment and pain his character is feeling in as little words as possible. Anna Kendrick as Dana Cummings is adorably likable and the perfect casting to play opposite Affleck's Christian and she brings a beneficial light-hearted quality to the film.

The Accountant is less about number crunching and more about human behaviour and heart. Although it does have moments where it seems a little cluttered dialogue-wise, it does wonderful things for the people in the community represented in the film.

7/10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 153 minutes
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Bob Kane and Bill Fingers (Batman created by), Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman created by), Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer (screenplay)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishbourne, Holly Hunter, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Callan Mulvey, Scoot McNairy

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be released in Australia on March 24 (distributed by Roadshow Films) and March 25 in the United States ( Warner Bros.)

July 20 2013,Comic-Con, San Diego: Warner Bros. made the announcement that two of the greatest superheroes of our time, Batman and Superman will finally meet for the first time on the big screen with Man of Steel director, Zack Snyder at the helm. This announcement was as good as a dream come true for superhero and comic fans alike and much caution and excitement ensued.....as well as a Twitter storm with the news that Ben Affleck would replace Christian Bale as the Dark Knight.

March 2016: As predicted, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is indeed a dream come true for superhero fans...or close to it. With the obvious elements that these devotees come to expect and desire from such a film, Batman v Superman is entertaining and action-packed with superb CGI, production design and sound editing. However, for those who are not amused by the specifics of the superhero genre, Snyder's latest film will be a drawn out piece of silliness that lacks a tight-knit, convincing screenplay.

18 months after Superman's (Henry Cavill) last great battle in Metropolis, he is still being judged for bringing destruction and devastation to the city rather than being hailed a hero, which is what his alter ego, Clark Kent and fellow Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) are still out to prove to the world. One who has witnessed the pain and suffering that Superman unleashed on the city is a man with his own secrets, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). The rivalry between Batman and Superman is unleashed with neither being prepared for the danger that the eccentric, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is about the unleash into the world.

While Batman v Superman is a vast improvement on 2013's Man of Steel, it is far from a perfect film. Yet, one has to ponder whether a film where these two larger than life characters meet and do battle could even have had a chance at pleasing absolutely everyone? Judging the film for what it is, it does exactly what it sets out to achieve which is to entertain and provide enjoyment, especially to those of the DC fandom. As one has come to expect from a Snyder film, the CGI is incredible and the production design of Metropolis incredibly detailed. The fight sequences are carefully choreographed and highly entertaining. Hans Zimmer's incredible score adds a great deal to the film as it provides a heightened sense of tension, but also celebration of the characters.

However, even loyalists will still be able to identify the film's faults that those indifferent to superhero films will see and dislike Batman v Superman for. The obvious obstacle of any project which involves two or more protagonists is how to keep more than one storyline flowing without overbalancing or falling into the state of too much happening at once. Unfortunately, Batman v Superman commits both of these crimes, but it is obvious that screenwriters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer were trying hard to avoid this. The beginning and end of the film feel extremely cluttered, especially the finale which drags the film out losing momentum in the process. As with other multi-protagonist films, this clutter leads to the loss of depth, emotion and connection with the characters.

This is how Batman v Superman becomes Batman's film, rather than a film about Batman and Superman equally. Try as they might for the film to find a balance between the two, Bruce Wayne/Batman is far more interesting to watch than Clark Kent/Superman and one cares more for him than they do Superman, yet it should be the other way around. Bruce Wayne is a ghost of who he once was having separated himself from meaningful relationships to avoid further pain, while Clark Kent is very emotionally invested with the women in his life. Therefore one would expect to feel more from Cavill's Clark Kent/Superman than they do. Snyder's direction of Cavill in both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman has certainly left a lot to be desired. Cavill has a greater emotional range as an actor than what we have seen as of late and the film even calls for great emotion in several scenes, but instead we see a lifeless figure who lacks charisma and on-screen chemistry with his fellow actors.

On the other hand, it is the melancholy and dark temperament of Ben Affleck's Batman that steals the show from his red-caped rival. Like all good Batmans before him, Affleck has a grand screen presence as both the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne. Yet he is far more cynical and darker than those that have come before him and it is a welcomed change as a result of Affleck's strong performance. Fans will also enjoy the return of the Batman gadgets in the cave and also the witty performance of Jeremy Irons as Alfred.

Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor also outshines that who has always been his traditional rival. While one is used to seeing Luthor as an arrogant businessman obsessed with his fortune, the Luthor in Batman v Superman is a much younger and eccentric figure. He does not come across as dangerous in the same way as a traditional villain, but rather dangerous in a way that he is so mentally unstable and quirky that it is terrifying to think what he is actually capable of.

The screenplay provides some wonderful dialogue driven scenes, particularly where Lex Luthor is involved. However, some of the ideas implemented to help move the story along are quite ridiculous and one feels as though Terrio and Goyer were clutching at straws trying to reac the story's desired outcome. The holes that are left and questions that remain unanswered by the end of the film are indeed menacing. However, what the Batman v Superman screenplay does do well is tie the film in with the rest of the DC universe, in particular the Justice League. It introduces the characters which will grace our cinema screens in November 2017 in a way which evokes intrigue and excitement, particularly that of Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot. Wonder Woman, as her alter ego Diana Prince, is a woman of mystery to both the characters on screen and those watching. The build up to her transformation is very well done and her eventual transformation perfect.

Despite it's misgivings, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will still entertain and delight fans of the two superheroes. For those who are not lovers of the universe in which superheroes belong to, it's misgivings may be unforgivable.

6/10

Gone Girl (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 149 minutes
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Gillian Flynn (book and screenplay)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit

Gone Girl is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Twentieth Century Fox.

A book shouldn't be made into a film unless it really has something to gain from it. Unfortunately in most cases with highly successful books, this gain and the driving reason behind the adaptation seems to be money. However, Gone Girl truly has gained from being made into a movie, especially in the hands of David Fincher. Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay), the neo-noir film unsettles and thrills with its combination of suspense and depth. With incredibly strong and memorable performances by all the cast, Gone Girl proves that unlike so many others, it belongs off the book page and on the screen.

On the morning of their anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find that his wife of five years, Amy (Rosamund Pike) has disappeared in what appears to be a violent kidnapping. As the search for Amy begins, Nick finds himself at the centre of the investigation as all the evidence starts to point to him when the cracks in his marriage start to be seen by the world and he becomes the lead suspect in his wife's disappearance and assumed murder.

Fincher's Gone Girl does exactly what book to film adaptations should do and that is to recognise and act upon what cinema can do to enhance the story. As a book, "Gone Girl" continues to attract a large readership and among it are admirers and cynics of Flynn's work. However, the film will impress and entertain even those amongst the cynics. The screenplay stays true to the book for the most part which means that the ending, which is the main cause for complaint of many, is present in the film. This is evidently what many will profess to dislike about the film, but the way in which Fincher has dealt with and fleshed out the material which has been given to him is testimony to his brilliance as a film maker. It is not often one says that a book works better on screen than it does on paper, but the unmistakable style of Fincher is perfect for Flynn's story and brings out it's true suspenseful and unsettling nature in spectacular style.

For those who have not read the book, Gone Girl is completely unpredictable and suspenseful. Yet, those who have read the book will be astonished at the suspense they feel while watching and knowing what is to come. While most of the suspense is in the story, it is assisted in spectacular fashion by the incredibly haunting music provided by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and gorgeous use of cinematography. Fincher shows the characters from such interesting and beautiful camera angles which allow a different story to be told through the camera lens. The final music piece of the film which plays through the last scene and into the credits is beautifully unsettling and this is the feeling that resonates after leaving the film.

Fincher has the wonderful ability to bring out themes in the film which were not as evident in the book as what they should have been. The notion which both the book and the film will prompt people into contemplating is whether we ever truly know the person we are with. It is easy to start seeing your marriage alongside Nick and Amy's and hoping that in the comparison you see differences. While this is intriguingly and thought provoking, the theme which plays alongside this in the film is that of changing ourselves for other people. This is something which many members of the audience will be able to relate to as we are all capable of trying to change ourselves for others. However, you can only try and be someone else for a certain amount of time until you become troubled as that unknown version of yourself and the real person starts to show themselves. In marriage, people don't change after they are married. They purely relax and reveal who they really are.

From the very first moment Rosamund Pike appears on screen as Amy Dunne in close up, she presents the viewer with a character of extreme complexity. As a result of the constant comparison Amy has felt throughout her life to her mother's fictional book character, Amazing Amy, she is never quite sure of who she is. Pike's performance is nothing short of outstanding. She shows a remarkable amount of versatility and range in this complex and intriguing role and is perfectly cast in the role. Pike and Ben Affleck have such an interesting screen chemistry. They do fine in the romantic scenes, but it is the awkwardness and tension they have towards each other afterwards which makes them truly exciting to watch. Affleck does very well as Nick Dunne and again is perfect for the role. He gives a pure, strong and controlled performance. Both Affleck and Pike also have the uncanny ability to make the viewer feel both love and hate for the two of them at different times throughout the film and hold a real emotional connection with the audience.

Carrie Coon, who plays Nick's twin sister, Margo is a stand out. She is often Nick's strength and she is completely entertaining in every scene she is in. Neil Patrick Harris plays Amy's ex-boyfriend, Desi Collings, a role which seems completely different from his previous work. Desi is another very interesting character, as you never know what his real intentions are and Harris gives such a strong and memorable performance in a part which is relatively small. Kim Dickens is also commendable in her role as Detective Rhonda Boney. It is a role which could have been stereotypical and one dimensional, but Dickens is perfect and incredibly real.

Gone Girl worked as a book for so many, but the film fleshes out far more and brings to the screen the type of thriller once thought long gone. David Fincher's film shows that there are still ways to shock audiences which are accompanied by dark beauty and extraordinary talent. While the film doesn't end in popular fashion, it unsettles and resonates for long after.

8/10

 

Runner Runner (2013)

Year: 2013

Running Time: 91 minutes

Director: Brad Furman

Writers: Brian Koppelman and David Levien

Cast: Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie

 

Runner Runner is now showing in Australia and is distributed by Fox. Also now showing in the UK and opening in the USA on 4 October 2013.

 

Runner Runner is the perfect definition of cinema mediocrity.

 

Neither bad, nor good and can't seem to move from that line right down the middle between the two. There is nothing terrible about it, but nothing mind blowing either. There is the potential for it to progress to the good film part of the spectrum, but the screenplay and Brad Furman's direction doesn't permit this advancement to take place and just let's Runner Runner become a completely forgettable film and a film all involved would rather forget.

 

Princeton student, Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), who made the mistake of relying on his winnings from an online poker game to pay his college fees, travels to Costa Rica to meet with the man who's website he lost his money on. He believes there is someone on the site who is cheating people out of their winnings and wants to approach owner, the elusive Ivan Block (Ben Affleck) face to face to tell him. Block is impressed by what he learns about Richie and offers him the opportunity to work for him, which he immediately accepts. Richie has the time of his life in Costa Rica enjoying the high life and his new romance with Block's close confidant, Rebecca (Gemma Arterton), until he realises that he may have become involved in activities that are less than ethical and legal, and that he is also the one being played.

 

When you stand back and look at the breakdown of Runner Runner, you can see how much could have been done with this film. The combination of an uneventful screenplay and Furman not knowing what to do with the opportunities that are there makes this film not at all suspenseful and just bland. Sadly, the film seems to think that it is much more exciting than what it is. Everything points to the ending being some amazing breakthrough, except for the fact that there was no tension at all and nothing strong about the delivery. The dialogue is filled with metaphors rather than the characters just getting to the point and saying what they mean, which is both irritating and pretentious. It is as though the script is trying to make the film intelligent and clever, but just goes the opposite way.

 

Perhaps the only real saving grace which the film has is that it is quite attractive to watch. It makes Costa Rica seem like a perfect holiday destination and the high life which the characters are living does look visually attractive. Funnily enough, Runner Runner is a bit like a relaxing holiday itself. It is a little too laid back and it just coasts along through the 90 minutes. Qualities that are great for a holiday, but not so great for a film.The musical score isn't bad and reminds us that we are watching a thriller.



Justin Timberlake doesn't seem comfortable in this role. It doesn't feel as though he fits into the character at all and one feels that with another lead man Runner Runner may have been more of a success.. The first 15 minutes of the film are actually very reminiscent of his role in The Social Network, as it is his Sean Parker in college. He and Gemma Arterton have absolutely no on screen chemistry at all, and Arterton herself really doesn't have much to work with. Ben Affleck doesn't do badly in his role as Ivan Block, but there is so much more that could have been done with his role but he is just not given the opportunity. He has one scene where the mean streak in his character appears and it starts to get interesting, but at no time after that is he able to show that streak again. The film would have benefited so much more by the character going further and having an interesting villain, but Ivan Block isn't all that intriguing, even though you are waiting for him to be so.

One forgets that Runner Runner is supposed to be a thriller, in much the same way that people will forget that this film ever existed.

4/10


You may have also seen Justin Timberlake in....
The Social Network as Sean Parker

You may have also seen Ben Affleck in......
Argo as Tony Mendez

You may have also seen Gemma Arterton in.....
Song For Marion as Elizabeth

The Town

Year: 2010
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, John Hamm

In My Own Words
I am proud of Ben Affleck. It's like he was taken seriously when he and pal Matt Damon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting" back in 1997, then had a period for awhile where critics could not see him in a serious light with films like "Daredevil" and "Surviving Christmas", but his last few major projects have shown just how far Affleck has come. He has given some of the best performances of his career in films such as "Hollywoodland" (which is actually one of my personal favourite films) and "State Of Play", and had an extremely successful full length directorial debut in the 2007 film, "Gone Baby Gone". In "The Town", he shows his true talent as a director and an actor. It is great to look at someone like Ben Affleck and see true potential being reached. Being an Affleck fan for a long time, I left the cinema bursting with pride for him. Nothing like a film to prove what you knew all along!

I have often spoken about how films can be a great tourism tool, but this film actually got me thinking about how they can sometimes not be such great tourism tools. Boston is a beautiful city, and I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. "The Town" does actually show some of the beauty of Boston, but it shows the bad side of the city as well. It represents Boston in a dangerous light showing the crime and poverty. There is nothing wrong with what Affleck has done here, as he is madly in love with Boston and I am sure he would love people to visit it, but there are people who haven't been to Boston and know nothing of it besides what they see in the film. These people probably wouldn't want to visit Boston after seeing this film. Shame if they are going to base their opinion of all of Boston on a film that focuses only on Charlestown, which is only one part of Boston.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review"The Town" is one of those truly unpredictable films. There is nothing worse than sitting through a movie with a clear idea of where it is heading and how it will end. With its unpredictability, fine acting and brilliant cinematography, Ben Affleck proves himself as a successful director, if there was any doubt before. Doug MacRay (Affleck) is living in a world plagued with crime and theft which he is trying to escape, but keeps finding himself drawn back into the lifestyle of Charlestown that he and is friends have grown up in. When they rob a Boston bank and take hostage the bank's manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), Doug feels that he should follow Claire to make sure she doesn't do or say anything that will get them caught out. However, the two start falling for each other, which means that Doug must do all he can to keep who he really is hidden. Being from Charlestown, escaping who the world he has grown up in impacts every aspect of his past, present and more than likely his future.

"The Town" is extremely well done. The story is well written and is perfectly adapted for the screen. It is extremely clever and interesting from the beginning to the end. Although it can be slow in parts, every scene is meaningful and is there for a reason. The cinematography is definately a stand out. It is extremely impressive and often beautiful, as well as being completely appropriate for each instance. "The Town" is very well pieced together with the range of camera shots, sound and locations that help explore the emotion and reality of the film.

Perhaps one of the strongest points of "The Town" is its character development and it's cast. By the middle of the film, it is as though the audience knows each of the main characters personally and is able to empathize which each one of them. Affleck gives a stellar performance as Doug. The audience feels each of his emotions that he passes through and see's that he is desperate to escape the way of life in Charlestown. At times he does come across as perhaps too nice of a guy that you have to wonder how such a nice guy can even contemplate being involved in the type of activities he is.It is as though he doesn't have a reason to commit theft, he just does it for the sake of it. However, this is the way Affleck shows how Charlestown can make people do things that they wouldn't be exposed to anywhere else. Jeremy Renner is perfect as Doug's partner in crime and long time friend, Jem. He has the right amount of aggressiveness and intensity to make the audience believe that a person like this could really do the unspeakable. Rebecca Hall also gives a great performance and perhaps the best performance of her career to date. She is extremely likable and can light up the room with her smile, yet when she is upset or angry, it ignites fear. Blake Lively does well as Doug's ex love interest, Krista, although she does not come across as quite as trashy as the film makes her out to be.

"The Town" is complete success and it brings out the best in everyone involved. The acting is superb, story thrilling and direction a tribute to Affleck. He has really shown what he is capable of with both his direction and acting in this film. Well done.
8.5/10