"The Accountant": An Example of Quality Film-Making
Christian Wolff is a mathematical genius. He uses his accounting skills to uncook the books for some of the most dangerous people on the planet. With the United States Treasury Department hot on his trail, Wolff takes Living Robotics, a robotics corporation, as a legitimate client. But when Wolff discovers that all is not right within the company, he must rely on a different set of skills to protect himself.
A startling mashup of genres, “The Accountant” is a great movie with a well-woven, complex plot. Ben Affleck stars as Christian Wolff and is joined by an all-star supporting cast: Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Bernthal.
“The Accountant” is an action movie, a thriller, and a crime drama with a pinch of comedy, all wrapped into one film with an uniquely intriguing premise.
Wolff was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at a very young age. Asperger’s is a developmental disorder on the autism spectrum. It presents itself as difficulty understanding social interaction and nonverbal language.
Rather than allow him to be coddled in a “safe” environment, Wolff’s father forces him to experience all the harsh realities of life. He forces Wolff and his brother to learn to fight, even going so far as to make him fight four boys who have been bullying him, saying that he has to fight back, or people will walk all over him. This harsh upbringing makes Christian Wolff into the character mashup of Jason Bourne, Raymond Babbitt from “Rain Man”, and Will Hunting from “Good Will Hunting.”
One of this film’s best features is the acting. Affleck’s expert portrayal of Wolff’s tics and mannerisms is fantastic. Everything from the methodical way he makes his dinner to the systematic process of doing business seems so natural. Affleck portrayed Wolff’s disaffection through quick, dismissive dialogue that broke through the tension of the film and added some humor. As a whole, the film’s acting was fantastic, but Affleck really stood out from the crowd.
The film’s director, Gavin O’Connor, deserves a big round of applause for his attention to detail and the way he wrapped up all the pieces of storyline into the film. In a fine example of world-building, O’Connor expertly wove the mood, the setting, and the tone all together with the acting and script to make a truly exciting and tension-filled film.
The one flaw I did find in this film is that parts of the action seem far-fetched. Of course, that’s nothing new. In almost every action movie we see, main characters with impenetrable plot armor dance through a storm of bullets and come out unscathed. Normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but the script and the acting root this film deeply in realism. So when the main character shoves a hand grenade into an enemy combatant’s ballistic vest, and then holds him close while the grenade goes off and walks away with no harm done, it’s pretty hard to suspend my disbelief.
“The Accountant” is not a simple action movie. It has a well-built world that houses a suspenseful plot and well-written characters. The acting is emotive and convincing, and despite a few overly fantastic action scenes, this film is a great example of what movies should be: suspenseful, action-packed, funny, and truthful. “The Accountant” has some of the best acting and writing that I’ve seen recently, and I highly recommend this film.