Based on the book of the same title by Darryl Ponicsan, the story takes place during the early days of the "War on Terror" and follows a trio of former Marines from the Vietnam war reuniting for one particular mission. One member of the team named Larry 'Doc' Shepard (Steve Carell), has lost his son while on tour in Afganistan. Devastated by his loss, Larry tracks down his old buddies Sal Nealson (Bryan Cranston) and Reverand Richard Mueller (Lawrence Fishburne) to help him take his son home. Along the way, the three of them reminisce about their own past, in particular about a specific event that has haunted them, and eventually decide to use this trip as a means of seeking closure, and also, hopefully, redemption.
For the most part, this film is well put together. It has good dialogue, sympathetic characters, a compelling human story, and excellent commentary on military life, war, and the general hardships of being a soldier. I dare say that it is actually a better film about life as a soldier than American Sniper could ever be. The cinematography should get a special mention. Not just because of its beautiful naturalistic style, but because of the brand of camera that was used. If I may don my "Camera Geek" hat for a moment, this film was shot on a Panasonic camera. Which I am a huge fan of as I shoot my own projects on a Panasonic camera as well. It is, in my opinion, the best brand of digital cinema cameras and I hope to see more feature films shot on them. Okay, taking off my "Camera Geek" hat now.
However, the primary flaw with this film is that it feels too long. Part of it has to do with the runtime, and also due to some repetitive scenes that could either have been shortened or rewritten entirely. My general suspicion for this is that they were trying to fit the entire book into the film. While I cannot prove this as I have not read the book, considering that the author of the book also worked on the screenplay, it seems a likely possibility.
On the plus side, the main cast has excellent chemistry and manage to carry some of the films slower moments, In particular, Bryan Cranston, who has been given the "funny guy" role. In fact, this movie was intended to be a balance of drama and comedy to showcase the power of laughter in dire situations. Unfortunately, it would seem that they didn't really balance that idea quite enough.
Even so, Last Flag Flying is a well made, well acted, and a well-timed story of grief, friendship, soldiers, and the effects of war on people, as well as the best ways to overcome said hardships.
Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.
Is it worth seeing in theaters?
No.
Why?
It's a good drama with not enough funny moments that is best viewed at home to take a breather once in a while.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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