DVD Review: The Accountant
If you ask me, I’ll tell you in no uncertain terms that I don’t like Ben Affleck. I’m not sure why, I just don’t like the guy. He’s a terrible actor. I can’t even tell you why I think he’s a terrible actor. So I did some research. Sure, he made a crap Jack Ryan, and then their was Gigli. But as I troll through Ben’s acting history I also see Good Will Hunting and Dogma, I see The Town, Argo and Gone Girl. Ben seems to be in more films that I like than I don’t like. Then it hits me. It all comes down to the fact that Ben Affleck is the new Batman. And after Christian Bale, Ben is kinda shit.
But what does this have to do with The Accountant? Well when I saw the trailer I was all like this film is going to be awesome. But. It. Has. Ben. Affleck. I was torn. But fortunately not torn enough not to see it on DVD. Because as with most of Ben’s films, this one kicks arse.
Affleck plays Christian Wolff, who on the surface seems like a normal child. A child sitting at a table, putting a puzzle together. But then he is gripped by panics – the last piece of the puzzle is missing. Something like fear grips the boy. He has to finish what he’s started, but now he can’t. I girl notices the missing piece and hands it to Christian. Happy, he places it in it’s place and we then notice that he’s complete the puzzle upside down. Nothing but grey cardboard.
It’s now that we realise that his parents have bought him to a special place to ask the stupid question; is he normal. Define normal is the answer they get, along with a very generous offer to help. But tough Army guy dad won’t have a bone of it. He’ll whip his son into shape. Train the autism out of his math savant son.
Jump forward 20 years and Christian is an accountant, but one being investigated by J.K. Simmons who desperately ants to know what Christian’s relationship is with some of the worst criminals around the world. The basic answer he already knows, Christian is known only as The Accountant. He can look at your books and find exactly where the money has gone, and who took it.
But as the trailer suggests Christian is also an accomplished sniper and fighter – I guess we can thank his dad for that. And these skills come in very handy.
Ben Affleck owns the role of Christian, he drives this thinking mans thriller for the duration of this entertaining ride. He nails the character and is flawless in his action scenes. He even makes me forget that I hate him for being Batman. It’s up there with my favourite Affleck films, and I can’t recommend it enough.
But I also know that some people will be able to pick it to pieces. And some people won’t understand Christian’s lack of empathy or why he acts the way he does, and will see this as failings rather than proof of Affleck’s acting chops.
So be warned, The Accountant is an engaging thriller, but one that will force you to accept that some people just act differently than you do.
Rating: R16 Violence & offensive language.
FILMGUIDE rating:
