Looking For A Clever Action Movie This Weekend? A Smart Thriller? Maybe Something With A Little Drama? The Accountant Will Kill All Three Birds With One Stone
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, Cyntia Addai-Robinson, Robert C. Treveiler, Jean Smart and John Lithgow
Rated: 14A
Studio: Warner Brothers
Running Time: 2 Hrs, 8 Mins
How do you make a movie about accountants entertaining?
Simple. You cast an actor that can sell the character your story revolves around and then embrace a deliberately crafted identity crisis with neither hesitation nor fear.Christian Wolffe (Ben Affleck) is a small time accountant in a tiny, nondescript town in rural Illinois. He helps farmers, small business owners and the occasional private firm with their tax returns. At least, that’s what everything looks like on the surface. Wolffe is just his current identity and is a carefully polished veneer he wants everyone to see. He’s a mathematical savant with a high functioning form of autism, capable of analyzing, unraveling and solving the most complex mathematical problem in minutes. He’s only content when he’s investing his “singular focus” on sophisticated problems, obsessing over their solution. He’s channeled his gifts into becoming the most sought after black market accountant in the world, hired by criminal organizations, terrorists and assassins to launder their ill gotten gains or sniff out traitors or embezzlers in their midst.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNGhnNMSopI?list=PLVfin74Qx3tWelaEJWdkyAN152rIw6XFd&w=560&h=315]
Video: Warner Bros. Pictures
Wolffe’s globe trotting, military father (Robert Treveiler) made sure his son was trained and prepared to deal with an ugly world that would try to exploit and manipulate him. As a result, Wolffe is always prepared to discard one identity, adopt another and even fight a war if need be. His contingency plans have a dozen backup plans and given the deadly nature of his clientele, he is constantly ready to disappear on a moment’s notice. But when he thinks he’s taking a harmless job tracking down some missing money at a huge robotics firm, he discovers that Wall Street can be just as dangerous as the global criminal underworld. Complicating things further is the American Treasury department, who is closing in on his trail.
I wasn’t sure from the trailers what to expect. Was this an action movie? A drama? A thriller? The truth is The Accountant is a little of all three, yet still manages to work. It starts out slow, letting the story slowly burn and laying the groundwork for an action filled climax. It uses the first two acts to carefully layer the plot and establish the characters, dropping an action scene here and there to keep you interested. The movie’s pace can come off as slow but it wisely resists the temptation to simply jump from one action sequence to the next, sacrificing story and character development along the way. O’Connor paces the entire film to compliment the story’s narrative, which uses flashbacks to help lay the plot’s foundation. As a result, the storytelling remains strong, and even though it suffers a soft moment when Wolffe violently collides with a hit man hunting him (Jon Bernthal) it otherwise avoids common pitfalls (like an obligatory love story that would have been entirely out of place).
Affleck turns in a strong performance as the titular accountant. Wolffe is a creature whose life is governed by routine, and Affleck does an excellent job of weaving his idiosyncrasies into his portrayal. His performance is nuanced and subtle, and his deadpan delivery provides most of the film’s funnier moments. He also meets the surprisingly physical demands of the role well, benefitting from his time as Batman. Simmons is efficient as the sardonic treasury agent King (whose professional life has been shaped by the Accountant). Cynthia Addai-Robinson provides a nice balance to Affleck’s emotionally understated performance as King’s reluctant but fiercely intelligent protégé, agent Medina. Jon Bernthal gets the job done as “security consultant” Brax, raising the hired gun to a character with some depth instead of a two dimensional criminal. Anna Kendrick is fine as corporate accountant Dana Cummings, but her role doesn’t really give her anything she can sink her teeth into.
All in all, The Accountant is an amusing diversion from the recent spate of disappointing literary adaptations and the upcoming string of horror movies. It’s a clever blend of genres with some moments of dry humour and touching pathos woven in. It’s definitely worth your time.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
