Those of you who worried about John Boyega's career post "Star Wars" fame, need not worry. He is at the top of his game in portraying Brian Easley Brown, a Marine who enters a bank and holds its employees hostage. Two employees to be exact: Estel (Nicole Biharie) & Rosa (Selenis Leyva). Based on a true story, this hostage taker isn't there for money but some greater message he had conjured up in his mind would gather attention (which is seems to have been lost, even though it only happened in 2017). Boyega's Brian is respectful and courteous which will lead to a lot of comparisons to "Dog Day Afternoon" but that also has some of the flaws. We know he isn't "dangerous" simply because he makes it very clear he isn't going to hurt anyone just himself. What he is drawing light to is that he is a veteran and that he is incensed when discovering he had been cut off from veteran benefits due to an issue created by him (real life story). In the movie, they depict it as a clerical issue. There isn't much more to say here because there isn't much more going on. He feels tied to his ex-wife and most definitely to a daughter that he made promises to and need to fulfill those promises.
They frame Brian as a very kind soul. A gentle warrior who came back to cold heartless bureaucrats. Which most of us who deal with government entities can relate. If you have dread going to the DMV, multiply that by 100 and that is your experience as a veteran. Though the U. S. government is overwhelmed, the reverse engineering of a simple man who is fed up and just wants what he is owed a very straight forward story. The frustration isn't exactly portrayed perfectly here. Director, Abi Corben had a large order to cover here...make a terrorist sympathetic and...nice. Not an easy task. If that were his intentions, this is very much the best one could do.
I would've liked maybe a little more of an idea of his service in Iraq. Though, the real story is that he was a supply guy, and that isn't exactly visually interesting. I think it could be debated as to whether or not his actions were justified. Or that we feel great pity for those who served in our military and who have to continue to wait to be served. The late, Michael Kenneth Williams, who plays the negotiator blurts it out...they weren't taught that way.
A lot of this could also be compared to "The Negotiator" Fairness and justice-wise. This is no action film and doesn't want to be. The trailer sells it as such but really plays like...well, a stage play.
Kudos to John Boyega for choosing a project that showcases his range of humanity rather than slingshot into another dumb green-screen affair. This is why they got into acting. These are the types of movies they don't make anymore. Only wish they could make it maybe 10% more interesting.
They frame Brian as a very kind soul. A gentle warrior who came back to cold heartless bureaucrats. Which most of us who deal with government entities can relate. If you have dread going to the DMV, multiply that by 100 and that is your experience as a veteran. Though the U. S. government is overwhelmed, the reverse engineering of a simple man who is fed up and just wants what he is owed a very straight forward story. The frustration isn't exactly portrayed perfectly here. Director, Abi Corben had a large order to cover here...make a terrorist sympathetic and...nice. Not an easy task. If that were his intentions, this is very much the best one could do.
I would've liked maybe a little more of an idea of his service in Iraq. Though, the real story is that he was a supply guy, and that isn't exactly visually interesting. I think it could be debated as to whether or not his actions were justified. Or that we feel great pity for those who served in our military and who have to continue to wait to be served. The late, Michael Kenneth Williams, who plays the negotiator blurts it out...they weren't taught that way.
A lot of this could also be compared to "The Negotiator" Fairness and justice-wise. This is no action film and doesn't want to be. The trailer sells it as such but really plays like...well, a stage play.
Kudos to John Boyega for choosing a project that showcases his range of humanity rather than slingshot into another dumb green-screen affair. This is why they got into acting. These are the types of movies they don't make anymore. Only wish they could make it maybe 10% more interesting.