Oof another emotional movie. And this one with a powerhouse cast behind it. Really, it had me at that cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Lawrence Fishburne. Oh and Richard Linklater directing.
The three are veterans who reunite for the first time since their service in Vietnam after Carell's son is killed in action in Iraq.
Those performances did not disappoint. Cranston did the unthinkable: he was unlikeable. He loses himself in every role and it's a first for me to not like his character. It still amazes me how different he plays everything he does. Fishburne was powerful, as the man who'd most changed since their time together, and the one most conflicted about their actions. However, the MVP for me was Carell who was utterly heartbreaking. He too loses himself in every role and gives us something different every time, but I've never seen this level of subtlety from him. He delivered the last line of the movie, and it broke thru my heart of ice and got a single tear out of me. There was one scene stuck in the middle where we see the comedian we love, but he worked it into this character so well, that it made me love this portrayal all the more. Any one of these men would be worthy to see on the Oscar ballot next year, but I really wanna see Steve make the cut.
The pacing did drag a little here and there, but the payoff was absolutely worth it. Not to mention just being able to watch these three masters of cinema work. I don't think it's possible to see this movie and not be affected by it.
Last Flag Flying – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n