Patriots Day

It was obvious from the title what I was in for, so I can't really complain. I surprised myself by giving such a high rating, but a few things amused me so much that I just couldn’t help myself. I definitely don't approve of bombings, as I think it's beyond cowardly. On the other hand, I didn't approve of the humanitarian bombing of the former Yugoslavia so that Hashim Thaci could have his little drug state, so I didn't cry over the poor Americans being slaughtered. What I found hilarious were the skills of the American security forces, who couldn’t even find a common radio frequency. It was almost necessary to deploy the Navy to eliminate two Chechens with pressure cookers. The Americans are just not very good at internal security, their strength is mainly in strategic bombing and cruise missiles, and they have no training in pressure cookers. As a long-time cynic, it immediately occurred to me that Boston might not be the best outlet for Dr. Scholl... (08/20/2017)

Peter Berg finally graduated as a filmmaker with flying colours, spoiled only by Wahlberg, whom I didn't believe as a policeman. A lot of people here are praising the shootout, but I would single out other moments. In the beginning Berg gives a great dose of suspense, when you know what is coming but you are still on your toes, the insight into the FBI investigation was interesting (the whole reconstruction with hi-tech gadgets) and the scene of the interrogation of the wife of one of the terrorists was excellent. I didn't mind the pathos, that's just the way America is, proud. The final soaring speeches were somehow superfluous, I could have done without them. PS: Extra points for assuring us that terrorists are idiots who believe 9/11 was a plot by the US government. You don't have to go far to see that there are plenty of such morons walking around the world. Just read the reader comments on Novinky.cz and you’ll see that yes, this is a clear demonstration of the "flowering of the intellectual elite of the Czech nation". (04/29/2017)

As expected. From the filmmaking point of view, Peter Berg did not disappoint. The explosions at the marathon and the subsequent confusion are filmed so well that you will bate your breath. It literally makes you feel like you are there with the cameraman. But this is where all the positives of this movie end. Unless you like American hysteria and an emphasis on patriotism. But that is, after all, apparent already from the title of the film, so count on the portrayal of America as the unique country and there is a number of characters in the film, who, of course, make it so unique. (10/27/2017)

The scenes of the Boston Marathon blast are really powerful in themselves and the subsequent chase with the terrorists works excellently, primarily the shootout in Watertown is polished and clearly true to life as much as was at all possible. It was maybe unnecessarily too full of pathos and characters (in some places the movie loses momentum terribly). Berg is good at realistic reconstructions, but the mass of authentic shots detracted a little from the power of the picture. There isn’t much shine to Reznor’s soundtrack this time round. (01/14/2018)

The narrative is without major mistakes and hesitations, but for the one hundred and ninety-fourth time the stale concept of a racist hunt for terrorists, starring an iconic, flamboyant and morally immaculate hero (we're talking about Wahlberg, Goodman needs to lose some weight and J.K. Simmons needs to gain some) just can't satisfy me anymore, even as a fan of old Hollywood conventions. Moreover, it's as long as a list of government debts, and the pacing fluctuates between many characters who, though played by top-notch actors, aren't very convincingly portrayed. Berg is definitely up for something bigger, at least in terms of physical rush, which you can see here, for example, in the very intense and realistic street shootout. 60% (04/15/2017)