Title: Patriot’s Day
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours and 13 minutes
Release Date: January 13th 2017
Grade: A-
Reviewed By: AIDAN GLENDON
Patriot’s Day is drama/action movie about the Boston Marathon Bombing of April 2013. It tells the story of the tragic event, tracing the lives of those involved immediately before and during the bombings, and the manhunt following the act of terrorism. The story is based off of the accounts of all involved parties.
The movie stays very true to the events of the bombings and the aftermath, even cutting in real security camera footage. The biggest diversion from the true events are Mark Wahlberg’s and Michelle Monaghan’s characters. They are surrogates, representing all of the members of the Boston Police Department during the events. The cast for this movie is perfect. Every actor looks overwhelmingly similar to their real life counterpart. No one in the cast feels overused, but there are some who feel underused, although it is understandable that at times, their situation was not important to the real life story.
Examining the movie from purely a movie standpoint (as if the events hadn’t happened), it is one of the most exciting movies ever made. There were parts where I could barely breathe in my seat and could feel my heart pounding in my chest. But, knowing that all of this really happened made it that much more devastating and nerve-wracking. There were events that I didn’t know occurred. After looking them up online, I found that the events portrayed in the film were extremely close to reality.
The movie’s one major flaw is that in the beginning, the focus shifts too much (I mean before the bombings). In an effort to introduce all of the main characters, the movie overexerts its exposition before getting into the actual story. But, it is a flaw to be overlooked, considering the final product.
This movie has plenty of heart, probably because Mark Wahlberg, Boston born and raised, had lots of say. And this movie showcases exactly what the tragic events of April 2013 show: Boston is strong. Not many other cities could’ve survived an event like this, but Boston shows just how great humanity can be, especially in the face of terror.
In a month crowded with too many bad sequels (Resident Evil, Underworld) and cheap money grabs (The Bye Bye Man), this is truly a movie to see. It is gripping, it is emotional, and it is real. And it is worth every cent.
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La La Land Review
By ARIANA RICH
Sebastian, role played by Ryan Gosling, and Mia, role played by Emma Stone, are two characters who both aspire to do what
they love, although they face many hardships. Mia, whose hopes are to become a successful actress, is subjected to rejection,
and Sebastian, who strives to keep the love of Jazz music alive, barely manages to make a cent.
As they begin to make their way into each other’s lives and their successes begin to peak, they are faced with decisions that eat
away at their growing love. The two must decide whether they should go their separate ways or reject life changing opportunities to
remain with each other.
La La Land is truly inspiring and simply makes your heart sing. It is an extraordinary film that is definitely worth a trip to the movies!
Movie Reviews
