The Accountant
Starring: Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Anna Kendrick
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Rated: R
Who knew accounting was so dangerous?
Christian Wolfe (Ben Affleck) is a CPA who works as an accountant for some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Just as the treasury department begins to hunt him down, he begins working for a robotics company. Strange circumstances surround the company as Christian closes in on the truth behind their finances. What could it all mean? (I'm not going to spoil the movie. Just trying to keep you in suspense)
Ben Affleck gives an excellent performance as Christian, the accountant by day vigilante by night. Ben Affleck has played two vigilantes in 1 year. That's got to be some kind of record. Christian has autism and the movie does a good job showing the audience life with the condition from childhood to adulthood. (under extreme circumstances of course. It's important to note that most people with autism are not accountant vigilantes.) He focuses on small details of the character that make the performance even more interesting.
Jon Bernthal is compelling as Brax. He is menacing and violent. For much of the movie, there is an air of mystery surrounding his character.
Anna Kendrick surprised me in this film. I'm not always a fan of her work, but Dana is a pretty good character. A few scenes showcase the fact that she could actually think on her feet in times of distress. Her relationship with Christian also provides a really interesting dynamic in the film.
For a film called The Accountant, I wish it was more focused on the titular character. There are so many scenes where the audience receives deeply insignificant information about secondary characters, when we really wish to know more about Christian. Instead of hearing a story about Dana's prom dress, tell the audience more about Christian's childhood or the relationship with his brother.
The film includes a storyline involving J.K. Simmons as the head of the treasury department that seems unnecessary at times. Although he is hunting down Christian's character, there seems to be a disconnect between his storyline and the main plot. By the time he explains his interest in Christian's case, it feels like a drawn out narrative thrown in to connect the two characters.
The Accountant is an enigma. There are elements of greatness here. However, the plot is too jumbled to put all of the pieces together and achieve that greatness.
My Rating: 6/10