Since the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, terrorism has
been on people’s minds. While politicians and media use it as a tool for
their own purposes, the scale of fear since has been keenly felt. Paying
attention to detail in public places has been something authorities have told
the public to do. ‘Patriot’s Day’ examines a true event with this mantra
in mind. Real-life occurrences are usually more captivating than
fictional ones as this factual tale strikingly proves.
Every year the American city of Boston has its popular
marathon. On 15 April 2013 police sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg)
is part of the detail protecting runners and spectators from anything
suspicious. Vigilant at his job, Saunders is shocked when bombs explode
during the race. Joining forces with local law enforcement and the FBI,
Saunders races to find those responsible. Appalled at the act of terror
on his patch, Saunders’ zeal at capturing the culprits knows no limits.
‘Patriot’s Day’ is an often absorbing examination of how
major crimes are solved. The police and FBI offer very different forms of
law enforcement and their team-work provides ‘Patriot’s Day’s main point of
interest. Both have their own style of catching suspects with Wahlberg’s
street-wise cop having advantages over the slick FBI operation. Peter
Berg’s direction ensures these scenes crackle with tension with cast turning in
strong performances.
As with many recent films, ‘Patriot’s Day’ suffers from
leaden pacing. It is also burdened with too many characters with some
providing little to the story. Famous actors appear almost as if they
were needed to beef up the film’s marketing than what they could bring.
‘Patriot’s Day’ also loses focus when away from the more interesting FBI/police
interaction. Whilst some characters feel superfluous, they are conveyed
with genuine conviction with the Boston streets coming alive with striking
cinematography.
When locked onto its central premise, ‘Patriot’s Day’ is
engaging. Giving genuine heart to the situation and having emotional
pull, it generally works. One can only hope these events never happen
with society’s ability to rise from a crisis once again seen in all its
tenacity.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 7
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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