I am going to run this by you from the start, Director Peter Berg has masterminded an excellent procedural film in "Patriots Day"; which is not based on dates that the New England Patriots have won Super Bowls in the last 20 years. Seriously, it is based on the bombing that occurred in the Boston Marathon in 2013 which suffered some fatalities and many injuries. We all do know the happenings from that day and after, but Berg executes the direction of "Patriots Day" in such a multi-layered precise fashion that makes viewers be infused within the tragedies & triumphs of this unforgettable occurrence. Berg favorite Mark Wahlberg stars as Boston PD Sergeant Tommy Saunders; why wasn't he a Colonel? Sorry, my mind is a bit Kentucky Pun Fried. Anyways, Wahlber's Saunders is a representation of a Boston Police official who was both involved in the marathon bombing and the capture of one of the suspects. Berg alongside co-writers Matt Cook and Joshua Zetumer developed a multifaceted screenplay that incorporates many figures and happenings which occurred before and during the bombing; and also the days following during the hunt of the brother suspects. The film is not an actor's showcase it is more Berg's run; but we do get admirable performances from Wahlberg, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, and J.K. Simmons; also notable were the performances from Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze who play the terrorist brothers Dzohkhar and Tamerian Tsarnaev. I have to consider myself a cinematic patriot by lining up "Patriots Day" as one of the most gripping films of 2016. ***** Excellent
Review of Patriots Day
