Cindy Prascik's Review of The Accountant

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to see my Bat!Boyfriend's new flick, The Accountant. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. A CPA with a dangerous clientele handles more than just the books. 

 

The Accountant is a mystery/thriller with a protagonist who may be difficult to warm up to. It's unhurried and often uncomfortable due to the aforementioned protagonist's failure to respond/react to certain situations in the "normal" way. Sound familiar? 

 

If you saw The Girl on the Train last weekend, I'm sure it does. However, unlike The Girl on the Train, The Accountant boasts well-plotted action, solid performances, a couple nice twists, and is funny only when it means to be. 

 

The titular savant, Christian Wolff, is unable to deal normally with people, but his mathematical genius is invaluable to his unsavory clients. Ben Affleck perfectly portrays the mannerisms typical of autism spectrum disorders, creating a character who is sympathetic even when he's doing some pretty bad things. 

 

Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, and John Lithgow are terrific in supporting roles, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson is a pleasant surprise as the FBI agent hot on the tail of our mysterious money manager. (I've always thought she was one of the worst actors working, but maybe when you're on Spartacus there's just nothing for it!) 

 

The Accountant is brutal at times, certainly not for the faint of heart. There's a short spell right about the hour mark where the movie starts to drag a little, but it picks right back up and is otherwise deliberately-paced but never dull. 

 

Wolff's inappropriate and seemingly rude interactions with people and situations outside his comfort zone spell the dark tone with amusing moments that are never a mean spirited laugh "at" autism or its manifestations. 

 

The movie could have explained itself better in a few spots, and the runtime might have benefitted from a trim, but The Accountant is a suspenseful yarn that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. 

 

The Accountant clocks in at 128 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout." 

 

The Accountant is a solid thriller featuring satisfying twists and a standout performance by Ben Affleck. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Accountant gets eight. 

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Girl on the Train & The Birth of a Nation

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the buzzkill double-bill of The Girl on the Train and The Birth of a Nation. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on the docket: The Girl on the Train. An unhappy divorcee makes up stories about the people she sees on her daily commute, then becomes entangled in the case when one of them goes missing. 

 

The Girl on the Train is such a pedestrian mystery that, never having been anywhere near the novel, it took me approximately 23 minutes to clock exactly how it was going to play out...and that was far from my final check of the time, believe me. 

 

Emily Blunt plays the titular girl as a sloppy, irritating drunk, and the supporting characters are so odious it's impossible to care what happens to any of them. (Though I'd forgive Luke Evans for pretty much anything once he started peeling off those clothes.) 

 

A few laughable bits--including a full-on Cameron Frye moment in a gallery--spell a miserable whole that plods along with varying versions of events. Who's telling the truth? Who's lying? 

 

You'll stop caring long before this mess crawls to its predictable finish. About the only things The Girl on the Train has to recommend it are a properly menacing score by Danny Elfman and a couple frames of Evans' glorious bod. 

 

The Girl on the Train runs an excruciating 112 minutes and is rated R for "violence, sexual content, language, and nudity." The Girl on the Train is a slow, dull exercise that made me want to throw myself on the tracks. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Girl on the Train gets four. 

Fangirl points: Luke Evans. Luke Evans' abs. Luke Evans' bottom. 

 

Also, a girl in a Damned shirt...yay! Next up: The Birth of a Nation. The true story of Nat Turner, a slave and preacher who orchestrated a rebellion in 1831. 

 

The Birth of a Nation is difficult to watch, and more than once I had to look away from the brutality and abuse. Performances are fantastic across the board, with Nate Parker and Aja Naomi King outstanding in the leads, and Armie Hammer his usual reliable self in an important supporting role. 

 

Turner's Christian faith is central to the story, but the movie also exposes the contradictory nature of the Bible and those who presume to speak for their gods. 

 

The subject matter is unpleasant enough to make the film feel much longer than it is; for the duration I kept thinking the last thing we really need right now is yet another reminder of how horrible people can be to one another. 

 

Only afterward did it occur to me, maybe exactly what we need right now is a reminder of what happens when people are encouraged to treat others as less than themselves. 

 

The Birth of a Nation clocks in at an even two hours and is rated R for "disturbing violent content and some brief nudity." The Birth of a Nation is a well-acted picture with a timely, important message, but, sadly, none of that makes it a truly great movie. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Birth of a Nation gets five. .

 

 Fangirl points: The aforementioned Armie Hammer. Mark Boone Junior (Bobby Elvis)! 

 

Until next time... 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds. Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train is adapted for the screen by Erin Cressida Wilson and Taylor. The film’s executive producers are Jared LeBoff and Celia Costas, and it will be released by Universal Pictures.

Director: Tate Taylor

Cast: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans

Release Date: Oct 07, 2016

Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Is it possible to make an interesting movie with a cast of characters who are all unlikable and fairly terrible?  The Girl on the Train tries really hard to pull it off and has a decent amount of success even if the “mind blowing” twist is telegraphed fairly early on.  Tate Taylor is clearly trying to emulate David Fincher’s Gone Girl but he’s not as talented a filmmaker to make it work.  As is, the film is a surprisingly engrossing tale of bad people doing bad things repeatedly.  Taylor’s real talent is getting some truly impressive performances out of his cast especially Emily Blunt.  Blunt is incredibly impressive throughout with multiple scenes set up to showcase her acting chops.  Haley Bennett, who looks distractingly like a Jennifer Lawrence clone, is just solid even though her character feels unwritten.  It’s a shame because the character seems to be most interesting of the group.  The Girl on the Train is trying it’s hardest to be some special but it never quite gets there.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

After a family tragedy, a boy named Jake (Asa Butterfield) follows a series of clues that lead him to a mysterious orphanage on a remote Welsh island. There, he discovers a community of children with unusual abilities, and learns he is destined to protect them. Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Dickens, Allison Janney, Judi Dench, Chris O'Dowd, Rupert Everett, and Terence Stamp co-star. Directed by Tim Burton, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was adapted from Ransom Riggs' debut novel of the same name. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janney, Judi Dench

Release Date: Sep 30, 2016

Rated PG-13 for violence and Peril and Intense Fantasy Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Tim Burton’s newest film is a welcome return to his glory days as a director.  The book seems ready made for Burton and give a certain feel that works in the films favor.  The cast seems to be having a blast, for the most part, with a radiant Eva Green leading the way.  Green is always the most interesting person on screen and the film loses some pop when she’s not on screen especially during an extended absence in the final act.  Ella Purnell gives the best performance of the titular peculiar children.  It’s a shame her story and character isn’t fleshed out more.  Also not helping matters is the film’s male lead.  Asa Butterfield is possibly one of the blandest actors I’ve watched in a long time.  His line deliver is so stiff and uninspired that it almost feels like he might yawn in the middle of it.  On the other end of the spectrum is Samuel L. Jackson who’s so over the top that’s its jarring when he first shows up.  Its not good or bad just odd.  Equally odd is just how thinly written the villain is.  It’s a shame because with a better lead and more dynamic villain this might have been scratching the top tier of Burton films. 

B