Back in 2016 I was in London recording songs I’d written for an EP I eventually released to great disinterest.
I grew up in a small town in the midlands and then moved to a small town on the north coast of Devon so cities are a bit of a novelty (and somewhat intimidating) to me.
Why am I telling you this? There’s only one reason really (and it’s not even that interesting). While I was in “the big smoke” I noticed posters to a new film splattered on some of the bus stops and billboards. A film that didn’t really appeal until I accidentally caught it on TV a year or so later. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve watched it several times since, most recently just a few nights ago.
The Accountant (2016)
I’ve said many times that low expectations have given me some of my best film watching experiences. There’s nothing worse than having a film hyped up to the point where it’s impossible to live up to those high expectations. On the flip-side, when you know nothing or very little about a movie going in, it can only really surprise you, and that was the case with this film for me.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s an action/thriller starring Ben Affleck (Argo), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect), John Bernthal (The Punisher), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and John Lithgow (Cliffhanger) among others.
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Using a small-town CPA office as a cover, he makes his living as a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organizations. With a Treasury agent (Simmons) hot on his heels, Christian takes on a state-of-the-art robotics company as a legitimate client. As Wolff gets closer to the truth about a discrepancy that involves millions of dollars, the body count starts to rise.
Once again, that synopsis does little to wet your appetite for the film. What it neglects to mention is that Ben Affleck’s character isn’t just an accountant, he’s a highly trained bad ass who shouldn’t be messed with.
As I said, I’ve seen this film a few times now and if I’m honest, it took me a couple of watches to fully get my head around all of the ins and outs of the story (there’s a lot going on and I’m not that smart ). Having said that, I still really enjoyed it the first time I watched it and with each re-watch I’ve picked up on things I missed before.
Ben Affleck is great in this! His character has autism and he plays his part really well. He lacks in social skills and shows signs of having severe OCD and it makes for some interesting and authentic scenes.
John Bernthal is also very good, as is the brilliant J.K. Simmons and the rest of the cast despite some of them having surprisingly small roles.
It has a well thought out, in-depth story, some great action and fight scenes (utilising the Indonesian martial art, Pencak silat) and despite its serious tone there are a few well timed, lighter hearted moments that add just a bit of comedy when it’s needed.
Apparently a sequel is in the works, as well as a possible TV show. The movie definitely has franchise potential, I just hope they don’t milk it like they do most of these kind of films.
If you’re looking for an action movie that has more than your usual car chases and explosions, I recommend giving this one a watch.
Seen it? Let me know.