"PATRIOTS DAY" PWP MOVIE REVIEW BY BOB RESCH

Typically, when it comes to the movies, I'd rather not read the book,
nor do I want to know the plot in advance.  For me, it takes away the
drama.  I like to figure out the who, what, where, when and side plots
of the story line  It's like watching the re-run of a ballgame where
you already know the score.  What's the point???

So, as you can see, I had some reservations about Patriot's Day.  Not
only did I know the story line, I was one of many people around the
world that watched the moment by moment coverage of the Boston
Marathon bombing on that fateful day of April 15, 2013..... including
the death and capture of the Tsarnaev brothers.

My sole purpose for going was to see if the audience would be taken
'behind the scenes' of the investigation and hopefully uncover the
method and manner that the Boston Police and the FBI found the
suspects.  It was a worthy gamble.

The cast is diverse ranging from Mark Walberg, John Goodman and J.K.
Simmons as Boston cops and Kevin Bacon as the FBI point man.
The film has a reality check by inserting a ton of real life cell
phone videos from spectators who witnessed or were part of the
carnage.  Some of these scenes are tough to watch, but ultimately
proved to be instrumental in the capture of the Tsarnaev brothers.

I'm always intrigued by the way investigators go about their business.
These are very, very smart people.  I feel like they could solve a
Rubik's cube in 30 seconds....blindfolded!!  They could do a 1000
piece puzzle during a lunch break.  In this case, the FBI and Boston
Police set up a scale model of the bombing scene in a nearby warehouse
within minutes of the incident. Through a meticulous review of cell
phone videos and business security cameras they where able to pick out
the suspects in the first few hours and the chase was on.

The resiliency of the city of Boston is an underlying central theme.
Even the day the town was ordered to 'shelter in place' was enhanced
with real video from police helicopters showing nary a single movement
on any street.

We all know the outcome with the death and capture of the brothers.
The pain and suffering of those impacted in the bombing is captured
and is heart rendering.  Many have been working tirelessly piecing
their lives back together after suffering horrible injuries.  It's
hard to believe only 3 were killed and 260 injured.  They are BOSTON
STRONG pure and simple.

This is also the story of law enforcement and first responders. It's
the story of how they reacted under pressure and performed at a world
class level.......and often times this effort is taken for granted.
Not this time. The closing scene shows live footage of the parade of
police officers in their cars returning to headquarters after the 'all
clear' had been given. What an amazing scene as they soaked up the
love and affection of the citizens of Boston.  It would be hard to
believe if this doesn't bring a tear to your eye.

I would highly recommend that you see Patriots Day on the big screen!

Bob Resch
PWP Contributor