Stronger

Jake does what he can, but his (real-life) character’s story simply doesn’t provide fertile ground for celebrating the values on which he wants to stand. Whether it’s his family background or uncertain and indecisive attitude toward his relationship with his girlfriend and physical convalescence, none of the motifs take the film anywhere meaningful. And the flag waving at the stadium doesn’t really elevate it either. I’m just barely giving this an above-average rating only because of Jake. (12/06/2020)

Stronger is the third ambitious film focused on the terrorist attack during the Boston Marathon, following Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing and Patriots Day. Instead of a mosaic reconstruction of the event from different perspectives, Gordon Green chose to take a more limited approach and shot a very intimate portrait of one man. ___ The first hour in particular is excellent, as it depicts, in a very raw way almost in real time, the medical procedures that Jeff has to undergo (thanks to Gyllenhaal’s acting, the removal of the bandages is one of the most painful scenes I have seen this year). We see the various stages of his treatment and his deepening depression, the incomprehension of his loved ones (who, unlike in similar films, are not always kind and helpful in every way) and his ingratitude (as he is humiliated by his dependence on the assistance of others), and we get a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for triumphant moments like the opening of an NHL match. Instead of the pathetic celebration of heroism that was presented to the public, we see pain, shame, fatigue, uncertainty, resignation (in its thematisation of what makes a man a hero and at what cost, Stronger is reminiscent of some of Clint Eastwood’s later films). ___ Most sick-flicks tell the story of protagonists who, thanks to their loving friends and family and solid material security, don’t have to struggle with anything other than their medical condition. As a member of the working class whose girlfriend isn’t sure if she wants to stay with him (they had basically broken up before the attack), Jeff has a lot of other things to worry about and instead of gaining strength and spreading love, he’s sliding to the bottom. Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt makes extensive use of (physical) close-ups and shots with little depth of field, so, like Jeff, we don’t properly know what’s going on around him; his and our “reach” is severely limited, which deepens the frustration. ___ The second half of the film isn’t as cohesive, as Green fails to find the key to connecting the three levels of the narrative (Jeff as a man with personal trauma, Jeff as a partner, Jeff as a man who inspires others), and the final minutes are filled with a cheap pathos that this otherwise likably factual film had mostly managed to avoid. Manchester by the Sea thus remains the most complex and truthful drama about relationships and trauma of recent times, but if you want to be moved without feeling that someone has taken advantage of you, Stronger is also a good choice (and Gyllenhaal deserves at least an Oscar nomination, which he should have gotten for Nightcrawler). 75% (12/13/2017)

A story written by life itself. Unfortunately, the film version is no better or worse, and it's a pretty decent endeavor, and the only thing that stands out is Jake Gyllenhaal and his take on the character, whom he makes believable. I have to admit that, at least in this version, I don't envy Jeff his family, and at times you don't know if anyone is even capable of empathizing with him. (01/31/2018)