Film Review: Patriots Day
Three hours into the race and thirty minutes into the film, a series of explosions rocked the site (near the finish line) of Boston Marathon on 15 April, 2013 — the third Monday of the month — traditionally celebrated as Patriots Day in that part of the US.
Mark Wahlberg is Sgt. Tommy Saunders of the Boston Police who played a key role in uncovering the identities of the Chechen-born Tsarnaev brothers — Tamerlan and Dzokhar — who had caused significant loss of human lives, grief and suffering to the Boston citizens. The viewer is taken through a short preamble to the horrific incident — a young couple planning to watch the Marathon the next morning, with director Berg then showing us the couple indulging in some tender moments the next morning, focusing on their lower limbs which would be later amputated as a result of the blast. We are shown a Chinese student who would later play a crucial part in tracing the culprits, conversing with his parents back home via his mobile phone.
Berg eschews showing us Sgt. Saunders as the sole hero although the director couldn’t resist showing us Saunders’ omnipresence — being at the site during the blasts, at Black Falcon Terminal where Police Commission Ed Davis (John Goodman) had based his control room, and later also at Watertown. The film shows us the usual tussle between local police and the FBI (Special Agent Richard DesLauriers played by Kevin Bacon), both insisting on working on their own strategies.
Director Berg tactfully stays away from the brothers’ Islamic beliefs and motivation prior to carrying out the bombing, instead preferring to delve into the aftermath and police strategies involved, including enlisting the help of neighbouring Watertown’s police force and its heroic Sgt Jeff Pugliese (J.K. Simmons) and the city shutdown till the second elusive culprit was nabbed. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross excel in their funereal, yet stimulating score.
Patriot Days manages to reach far beyond the bombing — into the resilience of the Bostonians and the psyche of the victims and perpetrators. Mumbaikars would particularly see a déjà vu in the pressure-cooker bombs assembled by the perpetrators.
