MOVIE OF THE WEEK (10/14/16): THE ACCOUNTANT
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| "They say numbers never lie ... And if that's the case, I'm about to be able to afford a whole bunch of Powerball tickets!" Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) gets down to work as the titular character in director Gavin O'Connor's thriller THE ACCOUNTANT. Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment and Ratpac–Dune Entertainment |
WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, Jean Smart, John Lithgow, Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Robert C. Treveiler
WRITER(S): Bill Dubuque
DIRECTOR(S): Gavin O'Connor
DIRECTOR(S): Gavin O'Connor
WEB SITE: http://accountantmovie.com
HERE'S THE STORY: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is an extremely skilled mathematician. He can digest volumes of information is just mere minutes and crunch numbers nearly as fast five graphing calculators working at the same time. He also has a very high functioning form of autism, which is why he does certain things in a very precise fashion in a very specific sequence. He's also an excellent hand-to-hand combat fighter and marksman, raised to be as such by his father (Robert C. Treveiler) from a very young age to help him combat his problems.
In the present day, Christian is a very secluded, secretive individual who is contracted by many people to come in and investigate their books for any discrepancies and problems. This has led him to work for many less-than-law abiding individuals, all without leaving a paper trail that could lead anyone to find him. But someone has in fact found him – Lamar Black (John Lithgow), the founder of a robotic limbs company getting ready to take his company public. Working with his partner Rita (Jean Smart), Lamar brings in Christian to double-check things since his in-house person Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) things there might be something worth looking into.
But Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) is someone who thinks Christian is the one worth looking into – even if he doesn't know that's the man he's looking for. All he knows is some time back, a man went into a tavern and wiped out nine members of a mafia crime family – but why? The answer to this question and all the others is about to come into focus as clear as the numbers on the receipts in Christian's dossier.
Especially once Braxton (Jon Bernthal) comes into the picture ...
HERE'S THE STORY: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is an extremely skilled mathematician. He can digest volumes of information is just mere minutes and crunch numbers nearly as fast five graphing calculators working at the same time. He also has a very high functioning form of autism, which is why he does certain things in a very precise fashion in a very specific sequence. He's also an excellent hand-to-hand combat fighter and marksman, raised to be as such by his father (Robert C. Treveiler) from a very young age to help him combat his problems.
In the present day, Christian is a very secluded, secretive individual who is contracted by many people to come in and investigate their books for any discrepancies and problems. This has led him to work for many less-than-law abiding individuals, all without leaving a paper trail that could lead anyone to find him. But someone has in fact found him – Lamar Black (John Lithgow), the founder of a robotic limbs company getting ready to take his company public. Working with his partner Rita (Jean Smart), Lamar brings in Christian to double-check things since his in-house person Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) things there might be something worth looking into.
But Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) is someone who thinks Christian is the one worth looking into – even if he doesn't know that's the man he's looking for. All he knows is some time back, a man went into a tavern and wiped out nine members of a mafia crime family – but why? The answer to this question and all the others is about to come into focus as clear as the numbers on the receipts in Christian's dossier.
Especially once Braxton (Jon Bernthal) comes into the picture ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ben Affleck fans who enjoy when he plays something other than his standard characters; Anna Kendrick fans; J.K. Simmons fans; parents of children with autism; people who enjoy films with strong performances; people who enjoy films that establish mood and tone well
WHO WON'T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who hate films with plot twists that seem quirky, gimmicky and/or just ridiculous; parents who feel that the film may exploit the exploits of autistic people;
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A taut, intriguing and well-acted thriller, The Accountant is a fantastic film ... That has ONE plot twist that threatens to unravel everything about it but fortunately can't given the strong performances and intriguing story the first 90-plus minutes delivers.
While he has had performances that have been both the thing of critical buzz (Argo) and comedic fodder (oh, Paycheck), Affleck may have turned in the finest performance of his revitalized acting career in The Accountant. His nuanced performance pays both respect to his character's autistic nature without ever feeling exploitative. In other words, you buy everything Affleck does, how and why he does it from start to finish that you will lose yourself in his performance the same way he does in bringing it to life. You feel every one of his interactions with other people and the tension and mystery that go along with them, wanting in part to understand what his true motivations are and at the same time, wishing for him to be able to "break out" and enjoy life as the rest of "normals" do. At the same time, director Gavin O'Connor does a stellar job at bring Christian's world into focus, from the events that shaped him as a young man to how they play out in his daily life. Affleck's relaxed, always-in-control-because-he-has-to-be nature is really interesting to watch, adding intrigue and drama to a tale that thrives off of it.
Likewise, Kendrick plays well out of her comedic element as a put upon employee who finds herself thrust into a crazy situation as the story unfolds, showing a versatility in being a proverbial nice girl and at the same time the person who begins to open Christian up to socializing the way he's always wished he could. Likewise, J.K. Simmons shines as his perfectly crotchety on the verge of retirement Treasury agent, a man who is able to tie up many of the film's loose ends while staying true to his character and his own interests. It makes for a layered performance that is revealed properly under O'Connor's attentive eye while allowing the story to organically breathe.
While there is one somewhat ridiculous plot twist that, if you think about it, will damn near RUIN the movie altogether (since I cannot spoil a movie in good conscious, I'll leave it alone ... for now) since it (1) undermines the main story; (2) makes you go 'Now how in the world could the characters in question not know that and/or talk about it?! given what they do for a living' and (3) feels like a cheap twist done for the sake of a cheap twist that wasn't necessary, I can't give The Accountant the four bucket rating it otherwise might have earned. Trust me, as someone who audits movies (pun intended), the twist sticks out like a sore thumb (even though it's not much of a twist if you pay attention) and almost ruins a large portion of the film.
Thankfully, however, Affleck's performance coupled with a strong supporting cast and solid tone as set by O'Connor make this the one accountant you might actually be happy to see in your life.
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A taut, intriguing and well-acted thriller, The Accountant is a fantastic film ... That has ONE plot twist that threatens to unravel everything about it but fortunately can't given the strong performances and intriguing story the first 90-plus minutes delivers.
While he has had performances that have been both the thing of critical buzz (Argo) and comedic fodder (oh, Paycheck), Affleck may have turned in the finest performance of his revitalized acting career in The Accountant. His nuanced performance pays both respect to his character's autistic nature without ever feeling exploitative. In other words, you buy everything Affleck does, how and why he does it from start to finish that you will lose yourself in his performance the same way he does in bringing it to life. You feel every one of his interactions with other people and the tension and mystery that go along with them, wanting in part to understand what his true motivations are and at the same time, wishing for him to be able to "break out" and enjoy life as the rest of "normals" do. At the same time, director Gavin O'Connor does a stellar job at bring Christian's world into focus, from the events that shaped him as a young man to how they play out in his daily life. Affleck's relaxed, always-in-control-because-he-has-to-be nature is really interesting to watch, adding intrigue and drama to a tale that thrives off of it.
Likewise, Kendrick plays well out of her comedic element as a put upon employee who finds herself thrust into a crazy situation as the story unfolds, showing a versatility in being a proverbial nice girl and at the same time the person who begins to open Christian up to socializing the way he's always wished he could. Likewise, J.K. Simmons shines as his perfectly crotchety on the verge of retirement Treasury agent, a man who is able to tie up many of the film's loose ends while staying true to his character and his own interests. It makes for a layered performance that is revealed properly under O'Connor's attentive eye while allowing the story to organically breathe.
While there is one somewhat ridiculous plot twist that, if you think about it, will damn near RUIN the movie altogether (since I cannot spoil a movie in good conscious, I'll leave it alone ... for now) since it (1) undermines the main story; (2) makes you go 'Now how in the world could the characters in question not know that and/or talk about it?! given what they do for a living' and (3) feels like a cheap twist done for the sake of a cheap twist that wasn't necessary, I can't give The Accountant the four bucket rating it otherwise might have earned. Trust me, as someone who audits movies (pun intended), the twist sticks out like a sore thumb (even though it's not much of a twist if you pay attention) and almost ruins a large portion of the film.
Thankfully, however, Affleck's performance coupled with a strong supporting cast and solid tone as set by O'Connor make this the one accountant you might actually be happy to see in your life.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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