1/17/2017 - Patriots Day (2016) - 7-/10

A strong and impactful Crash-like journey of interweaving tales that far surpasses what one might fear, a ra-ra "God Bless America" Super Mark action joint. This is a passionate and calculated freight train of a film that isn't perfect, and may be even a tad preachy, but is finely crafted and worth the ride.

The "love" soliloquy was oversaturated with sap and pretension. That said, it is not overly gung-ho with ineffectual sentiment or aggrandized patriotic fervor. It is a well worked dramatic capturing of individuals relations to the event, prior, during, and after, that paints a sympathetic and detailed account of all the Boston Marathon bombing was.

The devastating action and taught procedural elements were aplomb worthy. The most intense of scenes of conflict were well blocked, smartly shot, and finely rendered by all the artists involved. With the lighting, focus, and editing, it delivered an intense and chaotic maelstrom of tension and vigor.

A much larger story when told in all these relevant parts that was detailed in incredible depth and preserved in a way that deserved the worth of watching.

The rest of the emotion in this film, punctuated by the interviews with the real-life victims & people there, is genuine and affecting. This may be about Boston and their unique "intensity & loyalty", often tied up in their sports franchises, but it is a tale of power and hope that speaks to everyone. More than a Wahlbergian Power-fluff piece, this was a genuinely compelling and judiciously constructed film of tragedy, perseverance, and hope in relation to a horrible non-fictional event. Worthy of checking out.