THE ACCOUNTANT review by Mark Walters – Anna Kendrick wants to know who Ben Affleck really is

THE ACCOUNTANT review by Mark Walters – Anna Kendrick wants to know who Ben Affleck really is

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As I settled in to watch the latest Ben Affleck movie hitting theaters this weekend, we were treated to the trailer for his next production (which he also directed) called LIVE BY NIGHT, a gangster period piece that opens in January of next year… and in that moment I realized the last big Affleck movie was BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE back in March, plus he had a small part in SUICIDE SQUAD in August, meaning he will have been in four BIG movies in less than a year! That’s pretty impressive for any actor, especially when they’re the lead and the director on one of them. In THE ACCOUNTANT, we get to see Affleck once again show his physical abilities in some intense action sequences, though this may be one of the most subdued and quiet performances to date for the seasoned actor.

Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a strip mall accountant who (from all appearances) handles average tax cases without much flare. His latest clients are a farming couple, who he quietly coaches into processing their return so that they can get back the largest amount possible. Through flashback sequences throughout the film, we learn that Christian spent his childhood with a brother, and in the care of parents who couldn’t seem to understand his afflictions – Christian exhibited autistic behavior, and this conflict ultimately led to his parents separating. His father (played by Robert C. Treveiler) being an ex-military man thinks the best treatment for Christian is to teach him how to fight, as he knows his son’s behavior will make him an easy target for bullies. The father takes both boys as far as Jakarta to teach them deadly martial arts, and at times even forces them into dangerous situations to make sure they’re capable of proper defense. Back in the present, Government Agent Ray King (J.K. Simmons) and his new protege Marybeth (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) are trying to track down a mysterious accountant who keeps appearing in photos with dangerous crime bosses and drug cartels all over the world, yet never seems to show his face. And of course that mysterious accountant is our Christian Wolff. While the agents try to piece things together, Wolff is hired by a medical manufacturing company to analyze some financial imperfections in their records. There he meets Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), the woman who found the discrepancy and has a similar fascination with crunching numbers, and the founder of the company Lamar Black (John Lithgow). As Wolff digs deep into the records, he discovers over $60 million in missing money, which appears to be the responsibility of the company’s CFO, who that night turns up dead thanks to a hit man called Brax (Jon Bernthal). This series of events quickly ends Christian’s investigation, but also angers him as he wasn’t able to “finish” what he started, which is a BIG deal to him. But things get more serious as now he and Dana have become targets as well, and he must use his special talents to keep them both safe, all while the aforementioned agents get closer and closer to finding him.

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THE ACCOUNTANT starts off with a pretty intriguing premise, the idea of a Robin Hood-esque autistic book cooker, who also happens to be the deadly bad ass when necessary. Ben Affleck may seem a little obvious with his leftover Batman physique, and some have questioned whether this would have been more effective with a less physically imposing actor in the lead. Let’s just say when a tall and buff guy starts kicking butt, it’s not as shocking than it would be had it been a slender man of normal height… but Affleck finds a fun balance of playing Christian as a disconnected loner, while still injecting just the right amounts of humor into his behavior. Kendrick is a slightly odd choice as a possible romantic interest for Wolff, especially since she looks so young sitting next to Affleck. There are some nice moments that show her stepping up and defending herself rather than being a typical damsel in distress, which is always appreciated in action fare. And as the story goes along, things do get increasingly interesting as the different characters are introduced and expanded upon. Director Gavin O’Connor (WARRIOR) deftly handles the action, carefully building tension and keeping us guessing on where all this is headed. It’s also one of the better cast ensembles of the year with a good mix of newer Hollywood faces like Kendrick and Bernthal, and seasoned pros like Simmons, Lithgow and the great Jeffrey Tambor complimenting many of the scenes.

But for all the good it does, the movie sort of crumples under the weight of its own finale, which tries to deliver the big bangs it’s been building up to the whole time while also throwing in a rather predictable twist. It just doesn’t work though, and instead of feeling like a satisfying conclusion it comes off more like a clunky misfire. It’s so awkward that the audience started laughing at the absurdity of it all instead of being captivated and wowed. It’s an unfortunate let down in an otherwise engaging production, though in some ways the film might have worked better if it was a little more simple in its execution. Revenge flicks like JOHN WICK prove that basic action stories can still succeed if done right, and perhaps THE ACCOUNTANT‘s biggest flaw is that it tries to hard to be complex. And the final moments, when you really think about them, are just kind of depressing and feel incomplete. I’m not one of those people that needs every film to have a happy ending where everything is wrapped up nice and neat, but I also don’t like it when there’s a lot of unresolved issues that bother you the more you ponder them. It is a great-looking movie though, so perhaps the glossy presentation can cover up some of the shortcomings for more forgiving moviegoers.

THE ACCOUNTANT opens October 14, 2016

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.