The idea of crime is no stranger to the world of film. For many years the concept of criminal actions have played a role in the movie in a variety of genres. One of these film types is the likes of action thriller which tends to appear in the cinema season. Yet with so many thrilling films that deal with criminal acts, it can be hard for a single movie to stand out from the rest. This may not be the case for the latest action thriller in theaters:
The Accountant. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant deals with a man who deals with the finances of criminals and the mystery that surrounds him. With a tense tone and formidable looking cast The Accountant looked to be thrilling time at the movies, but could this crime film calculate it chances for success?
The Accountant centers on Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck): an autistic accountant with a firm in a small town. Yet things are not what they seem as Christian’s office is just a cover for the Accountant’s real work which deals with him consulting for major criminal organizations. Christian’s latest works deals with him checking the books of a robotics company run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow). After meeting the company’s accountant, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), and figuring out numbers Christian finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy as employees are being taken out by the hitman Braxton (Jon Bernthal). In order to protect Dana, Christian hunts down Braxton and the person who hired him. Meanwhile Treasury agents Raymond King (JK Simmons) and Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai Robinson) investigate Christian and his true identity.
There were two elements that made up the story to
The Accountant. The there was the character driving element that made up the plot. The story of Christian Wolff was captivating. I found myself invested in just who Christian Wolff was and what made the accountant tick. The other part to the story was the crime element. While it was not the most secretive of mysteries this factor did work for the film by being thrilling as well as engaging. The narrative to the plot could be sporadic at times, but this direction did work to the movie’s advantage by helping by helping both the mystery and the themes behind this action thriller.
The movie certainly had a strong looking cast and I was pleased to see that this ensemble did not disappoint. Ben Affleck was impressive as Christian Wolff. The characterization of this autistic accountant was solid as it showcased the range of Affleck’s ability whiling moviegoers a different kind of protagonist. The film also featured a strong supporting cast. While Dana Cumming did not have much direction, there was no denying that Anna Kendrick’s performance helped to make this accountant likable. The same thing could be said about JK Simmons and Jon Bernthal. Both actors’ characters did not have much screen time, but both Simmons and Bernthal made every moment count-especially Jon Bernthal who oozed charisma as Braxton. Cynthia Addai Robinson showed that she could hang with names such as Affleck and Kendrick as she carried her scenes well. Along with solid performances from John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, the cast to
The Accountant was a worthy one for the film as their range and charm showcased the character behind this movie.
With the movie being an action thriller,
The Accountant had several action packed moments and each were effective in their own right. While the movie was not heavy in this element the action scenes were efficient by being both definitive and thrilling. The score by Mark Isham was decent. While there were not many memorable moments in the soundtrack, the music did work by enhancing the tone to the film. Yet the thing that I found the most impressive about The Accountant was the direction from Gavin O’Connor. Whether it was dealing with the autistic nature of Christian or just the action element, there was an attention to detail in the direction that I could not help but admire as it really brought this thriller to life.
The Accountant certainly lived up to its genre. The film could have been stronger in some areas, but it worked where it matter. With an engaging narrative and strong performances this action thriller was captivating not to mention dynamic. Gavin O’Connor certainly outdid himself with
The Accountant as the film is a one of a kind action thriller that is worth seeing this year.
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