Patriot’s Day

By: John Delia

An edge of your seat thriller, the true story Patriot’s Day left me breathless. The movie takes you through the steps following the heinous and senseless bombing at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Filmed with of tight hand, director Peter Berg grabs you by the collar and glues you to the screen for two plus hours of the incredible action packed reenactment. The planned cowardice act is a wake-up call for all adults and students that need to be alert that America is vulnerable to terrorism.

The film opens with two of the main characters being introduced on the morning of the Boston Marathon. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), a very hard working Police Sergeant, has been temporarily assigned to parade duty much to his chagrin. He’s a tough no-nonsense leader who doesn’t quit. He’s also a softhearted family man with wife Carol (Michelle Monaghan), a nurse, serving the public in her own way.

Stationed at the finish line, his duty concerns the massive crowds that line the streets and the safety of the arriving runners. When all hell breaks loose, he starts to take control of the chaos. Called into action are Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman), Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K. Simmons) and later in the day FBI Agent Richard Deslauriers (Kevin Bacon).

The scene has been set as director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) puts his actors through their paces with non-stop suspense, police action and terrifying conflicts. A perfect film for the master of chaotic situation filmmaking, Berg knows how to keep an audience on the edge of their seat. From the explosion at the parade route to the tracking down of killers Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze) and his brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff), Berg provides a close-up of what the actual responders went through to bring an end to the tragedy.

You may have seen the reports during the actual attack and the aftermath on TV, but you’ve seen nothing as incendiary and in the detail that Berg brings to the screen in Patriot’s Day. Many have removed that terrible day from their minds replacing it with other terror acts taking their place. Since that awful day several attacks have shown that terrorism continues to rear its ugly head in cities like San Bernardino, California and Orlando, Florida to mention a few. But what you will see in Patriot’s Day reveals the bravery, willpower and tactical ability of our first responders and investigative team who protect and serve our country without regard of their own safety.

The cast as a whole are outstanding with Mark Wahlberg providing a powerful performance as the police officer Tommy Saunders who faced danger and bedlam without hesitation. He thrusts himself into his job finding care for the victims. But it doesn’t stop there as he becomes one of the hunters that track down the two terrorists. Just as his character says in the finale of the film, the movie centers around “Good versus evil, love verses hate.”

If there’s one film you see in 2017, make it be Patriot’s Day. Plus, pass the word on so all adults can experience the terrorist invasion that America is facing today.

Patriot’s Day has been rated R by the MPAA for violence, realistically graphic injury images, language throughout and some drug use. Please stay for the end credits as they show the real persons that the actors portrayed. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film as it does have some scenes that are inappropriate for youngsters. It’s also available in 3D and IMAX 3D.

FINAL ANALYSIS: An amazing and realistic construction of a terrorist attack and the aftermath. (5 of 5 Stars)