Peter Berghas a knack for making real-life events into thrilling, detail-oriented action. Since his debut, the noxious dark comedyVery Bad Things, Berg has clearly shifted tones to something closer to the sober exhilaration of industry process thatPaul Greengrasshas perfected. Unfortunately, he’s also a stubborn sentimentalist, who often allows everyday people of action to be falsely sanctified as heroes rather than as complex men and women who were capable of heroic action.
He also never seems to question his actions in the narrative, never challenges the idea that dramatizing tragic, internationally recognized events is, in a way, quite a morbid and manipulative practice. (In contrast,Jackietakes this ponderance as its central dramatic tenant.) Still, it’s hard to deny the thrill that Berg conveyed inDeepwater HorizonandPatriots Day, which takes on the Boston Marathon Bombing, looks to be in the same camp. The latest trailer for the movie, which you can take a look at below, teases an engrossing, you-are-there depiction of the events that surrounded the terrorist attack. And like usual, Berg has a great cast to back up his efficient direction, fromMark WahlbergandMichelle MonaghantoJohn GoodmanandKevin Bacon. The movie hits theaters on January 13th and feels exactly like the kind of movie that could clean up in a first-quarter release, for better or worse.
Here’s the new trailer forPatriots Day:
Here’s the official synopsis forPatriots Day:
In the aftermath of an unspeakable act of terror, Police Sergeant TOMMY SAUNDERS (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the bombers before they strike again. Weaving together the stories of Special Agent RICHARD DESLAURIERS (Kevin Bacon), Police Commissioner ED DAVIS (John Goodman), Sergeant JEFFREY PUGLIESE (J.K. Simmons) and nurse CAROL SAUNDERS (Michelle Monaghan) this visceral and unflinching chronicle captures the suspense of one of the most sophisticated manhunts in law enforcement history and the strength of the people of Boston.
