PATRIOTS DAY – Rated R

PATRIOTS DAY – Rated R – 133 MInutes

 Starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, JK Simmons and Michelle Monaghan

Based on the tragic terrorist attack during the 2013 Boston Marathon, we meet Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), on the finish line of the longest running marathon in the U.S. With crowds of thousands at the finish line awaiting the arrival of their friends and family, terrorist bombers Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze, and his younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff) pull of the unthinkable, setting off two consecutive bombs just blocks away from one another, in the midst of these large crowds. When Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (Michael Beach) arrive on the scene, the chaos amongst the injured and dying is overwhelming.

Enter FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon), who secures the scene and takes over the investigation, reluctantly declaring this a terrorist attack, as his colleagues, in conjunction with Boston’s PD and soon to follow Watertown’s PD jump into action to find these two madmen ~ bring them both to justice!!!

I give PATRIOTS DAY a rating of MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN ~ I was thinking that this film might be subpar, as that is usually the case when the studios don’t let critics preview films before their theatrical release ~ but apparently the feedback from LA and NEW YORK must have been enough, that they didn’t have to show it to the rest of the nation early. And that’s okay too, because for me PATRIOT’s DAY was not only worth the wait, but worth the $12 I spent to view it too! Wahlberg is fabulous, even though he is playing a fictional character created from the lives and storylines of numerous policeman from Boston, who were giving it they’re all in order to apprehend these fugitives. Goodman was superb too, playing real-life Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. And, even though I feel funny giving Wolff and Melikidze accolades for their portrayals as the terrorists, they really were perfectly cast and very convincing in their roles too. From the intenseness throughout this film (Yes, its graphic, which secured its R-rating), to the side stories I had forgotten took place throughout this ordeal as well, to the many real-life storylines being told all throughout this film, PATRIOTS DAY is one biographical and historical film that every American citizen over the age of 17, has to see. You will be incredibly touched not only by this films comprehensive coverage regarding the events that took place before and after this horrific attack, but by the real-life individuals sharing their thoughts with you at the end of this film. If there is only one movie you head out to catch this weekend at a theater near you, make it PATRIOTS DAY, so that it can leave an indelible mark on your soul too…

Kathy Kaiser