Stronger

There are films based on true stories and there are films based on true stories based in terrorists attacks. Sociologically, as the increase of terrorists attacks become obvious, an unofficial category of films based on terrorist attacks practically have their own genre: "United 93", "The World Trade Center", "Patriots Day" and this year's "9-11". Now we can add "Stronger" to that ever increasing list.

 

This docudrama recounts the true story of Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who lost both of his legs during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. After providing crucial information on the bombers, Bauman faced a long, arduous road to recovery from the hospital--Surgical ICU to physical rehabilitation and must turn to his family including his mother, Patty (Miranda Richardson) and father, Jeff Sr. (Clancy Brown) and girlfriend, Erin Hurley (Tatiana Maslany) for support.

This story throws one average man into a world he or anyone else is ever ready for, and happens in mere moments. It shows him going through the shock period along with the seemingly impossible rehab that sends him, his girlfriend, his family and buddies into a tailspin that none are prepared for. 

 

Others to round out the cast are Lenny Clarke as Uncle Bob, Richard Lane Jr. as Sully, Patricia O'Neil as Aunt Jen, Nate Richman as Big D; Carlos Sanz as Carlos, Danny McCarthy as Kevin and Katherine Fitzgerald as Aunt Karen.

 

This was intensely yet quirkily directed by David Gordon Green ("All the Real Girls" '03, "Pineapple Express" '08, "Your Highness" '11, "Prince Avalanche" '13, "Joe" '13, "Manglehorn" '14, "Our Brand Is Crisis" '15) plus others and TV and shorts. I say quirkily because each character, especially Jeff Bauman is played out differently than most characters of this type in other similar films. The range of emotions that the Bauman character conveyed was as diverse as the situation this man was in. It was strategically well thought out and cohesive by writer John Pollono (Shorts) based on the book by the same name by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter. As the story starts from pre bombing introducing us to the characters, it transcends us from an ordinary situation to an horrific one in the course of a few seconds and then we witness Bauman going from normal to both legs torn to shreds and the subsequent PTSD he continues to experience from this traumatic event. Considering this writer only has a couple of shorts to his credit, this is either a fluke or he is a natural. Only time will tell. If this is his first attempt at a feature film script, I will be eagerly awaiting the next film he writes.

 

Truly if you're into intense, traumatic and inspiring work, this film has it all. It does have some grueling scenes, so if some gruesomeness is bothersome to you, this will be a tough watch. Hey, terrorist attacks are not pretty. Certainly Gyllenhaal's work is one of his best and could possibly be looking at a nod come Oscar time.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                    Rated: R                                  118mins.