THE ACCOUNTANT REVIEWED
“The Accountant” is a film about a high functioning autistic man’s ability to fix the books and murder people. If you’re ready for a ton of flashbacks, hot accounting history and a few plot twists…you’re in luck. If you want to see Affleck star in an action film, you’ll be a little salty. That being said, I enjoy such a high concept film being pushed on audiences during the Fall season. Too often this kind of fare gets dumped because studios don’t know how to sell it.
Anna Kendrick tries her hardest to make her character work, but she’s so ancillary to what they need done. The flashbacks with the parents, the US Treasury investigation and even explaining away Justine doesn’t hinge on her. Kendrick exists to give the audience a way to make sense of the sheer amount of information being thrown at them onscreen. A lot of the past reveals with Affleck’s character ultimately feel cheap to me by the film’s end. But, I don’t think that was the point.
Much like with Kendrick, these story elements exist to give the material an almost cerebral soap opera feel. People claim to not enjoy continuity, but that’s a lie. They prefer easy dose continuity that is packaged in a friendly way. They like soap operas and that’s all this is. It’s still enjoyable.
FILM STATS
- 2 hrs and 8 mins
- R
- Warner Brothers
