Patriots Day (2016)
2016
R
130 Minutes
An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis's actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terroris...
User Review
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Patriots Day encapsulates human resilience of a true disaster whilst providing sincere entertainment. Depicting real life events and portraying them for the purpose of entertainment can feel exploitative. Utilising the innocence and helplessness of lives within a tragedy could be illustrated in a way that feels excessively melodramatic. Whilst this film does occasionally suffer from exploitation, overall it's an incredibly powerful window that openly views the sheer bravery and determination of an entire city. A dramatisation of the 2013 Boston marathon bombings where policing individuals are tasked with hunting down the terrorists. Berg and Wahlberg continue their trend of interpreting recent events in a motion picture, with this entry easily being their most formidably challenging depiction. Berg seamlessly balances humanistic melancholy that evokes powerful emotions with thrillingly realistic action sequences to create an involving film. Boston becomes this microcosm for America. A city's resilience is translated across the sprawling country. It's not just specific individuals hunting down the culprits, it's a nation tackling the ever growing issue or terrorism. Radicalisation that is endangering the lives of many. Berg captures the essence of Boston, a tough hearty city, and powers it through his direction. His technical assurance elevates the confidence of what the film is attempting to dramatise. It is moving. It is powerful. It is relentless. His consistent use of combining real footage, particularly the film's ending, with Wahlberg's solid performance only enhances the gritty realism of the pressurised hours after the event. I appreciate the moment of reflection from the survivors, however it does come across as emotionally manipulative thus detracting from the nuanced tone. The surprise really comes from the "plot", where the attention is primarily focused on detailing the police and investigative work that preceded the explosions. The immediate pressure from governmental entities and media presence heightens the tension rapidly and instantly draws you in. Impressively patriotic and unexplotative.1 member likes this review.
