Peter Berg’s “Patriots Day” is well-made, well-researched, well-acted and felt that the film was a wonderful tribute to the heroes of the Boston Marathon Bombing and not being exploitative. Highly recommended!
© 2016 CBS Films Inc. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Patriots Day
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2016
DURATION: 133 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 2160p Ultra High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio), English DTS:X Audio, DTS Headphone:X Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Optimized for Late- Night Listening SUBTITLES: English, English SDH, Spanish, French
COMPANY: Lionsgate
RATED: R (Violence, Realistically Graphic Injury Images, Language Throughout and Some Drug Use)
RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017
Directed by Peter Berg
Screenplay by Peter Berg, Matt Cook, Joshua Zetumer
Story by Peter Berg, Matt Cook, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
Producer: Dorothy Aufiero, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Hutch PArker, Michael Radutzky, Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg
Associate Producer: Lauren Downey, Daphne Lambrinou, Joseph J. Micucci, Bo Shen, stephen Stapinski, Shixing Zhou
Executive Producer: Louis G. Friedman, Eric Johnson, Nicholas David Nesbitt, John Logan Pierson, Paul Tamasy, Dan Wilson
Music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Cinematography by Tobias A. Schliessler
Edited by Gabriel Fleming, Colby Parker Jr.
Casting by Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri
Production Design by Tom Duffield
Art Direction by Steve Cooper
Set Decoration by Ronald R. Reiss
Costume Design by Virginia Johnson
Starring:
Mark Wahlberg as Tommy Saunders
John Goodman as Commissioner Ed Davis
Kevin Bacon as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers
J.K. Simmons as Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese
Christopher O’Shea as Patrick Downes
Rachel Brosnahan as Jessica Kensky
Michelle Monaghan as Carol Saunders
Jimmy O. Yang as Dun Meng
Melissa Benoist as Katherine Russell
Alex Wolff as Dzohkhar Tsarnaev
Themo Melikidze as Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Martine Assaf as Connie Pugliese
James Colby as Superintendent Billy Evans
Michael Beach as Governor Deval Patrick
Rhett Kidd as Harrold
Mark Wahlberg shines in this all-star action-thriller that chronicles the courage and power of the people of Boston during the real-life manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers.
From filmmaker Peter Berg (“Hancock”, “Friday Night Lights”, “The Kingdom”) comes the American drama-thriller film “Patriots Day” about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and the terrorist manhunt that took place.
Featuring a screenplay co-written by Berg, Matt Cook (“The Duel”, “Triple 9”) and Joshua Zetumer (“RoboCop”), the film would receive positive film reviews from critics.
The film stars Mark Wahlberg (“Boogie Nights”, “The Fighter”, “Prisoners”), John Goodman (“The Artist”, “Roseane”, “The Big Lebowski”, “10 Cloverfield Lane”), Kevin Bacon (“Apollo 13”, “Footloose”, “X-Men: First Class”), J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”, “Spider-Man” films, “The Closer”), Michelle Monaghan (“Gone Baby Gone”, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, “Due Date”), Themo Melikidze (“Beautiful Something”, “Transit 17”), Alex Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”, “Come Through the Rye”, “The Sitter”), Jimmy O. Yang (“Silicon Valley”, “The Internship”), Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl”, “Whiplash”, “Glee”), Jake Picking (“Dirty Grandpa”, “Goat”), Christopher O’Shea (“Baby Daddy”, “Madam Secretary”), Rachel Brosnahan (“Beautiful Creatures”, “Manhattan”, “The Finest Hours”) and many more.
VIDEO:
“Patriots Day†is presented in 2160p High Definition (2:40:1). The film is presented in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.
Picture quality is fantastic as closeups show amazing clarity and day scenes are vibrant. Many of the scenes are shot at night, but light is well done and for the most part, the film looks great in 4K Ultra HD!
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: To watch 4K Ultra HD, you will need a 4K UHD TV with HDR and an Ultra HD Blu-ray Player + a high-speed HDMI 2.0A Cable.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Patriots Day†is presented in English DTX-X Audio, DTS Headphones: X Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio.
While the film features crystal clear audio (dialogue) and music, surround channels are well-utilized for action sequences during explosions, gun exchanges and crowd ambiance. Great use of the surround channels and LFE!
Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Patriots Day” comes with the following special features:
- Boston Strong – (21:34) Featuring interviews with Dr. Jeffrey Kalish, Dun Meng and Sgt. Jeff Pugliese.
- The Boston Bond: Recounting the Tale – (21:43) The cast and crew talk about filming in Boston and working with the community.
- The Real Patriots: The Local Heroes’ Stories – (19:41) Filmmaker Peter Berg discusses the various heroes that he met and the real people that inspired the characters for the film.
- The Cast Remembers – (5:52) The cast discuss how they found about the Boston Marathon bombings.
- Actors Meet Real-Life Counterparts: A 2-Part Series – (10:08) Featuring John Goodman and Ed Davis and Jimmy O. Yang and Dun Meng.
- Researching the Day – (11:22) Director Peter Berg and crew discuss the research of recreating the 2013 Boston Marathon and the bombing.
EXTRAS:
“Patriots Day” will come with a slipcover, both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray and UltraViolet Digital HD code.
I remember the Boston Marathon bombings quite clearly.
Watching things unfurl on CNN, immediately I was glued to the TV set, angered that our country was once again being targeted by terrorist attacks and to find out that were many people, including children who were dead or injured. Then to find out about the two accused of the bombings, finding out a university police officer was killed, followed by a kidnapping of a Chinese man who revealed the brothers are planning to bomb New York and just following the news for the hunt of the Tsarnaev brothers.
It was a story that captivated America where in 9/11, the terrorists killed themselves. While in this case, these two terrorists were out in public and we wanted them caught and to answer for their crimes.
With Peter Berg’s “Patriots Day”, we get to see how things went for those harrowing days, the people involved in the manhunt for the two terrorists, those who were injured and those who lost their lives.
Peter Berg and fellow writers Matt Cook and Joshua Zetumer no doubt made sure to pay their respects to those involved in the capture of one of the terrorists but to also pay respects to law enforcement and those who’s life was changed forever, but keeping the theme of “Boston Strong” central to the film and showing how the support for law enforcement and the victims will remain in the hearts of people who remember that fateful day and have managed to continue, to move on and show true determination but also providing inspiration for those watching the film.
Mark Wahlberg’s character of Tommy Saunders is a fictional character but his role captures the heart of Boston PD who were doing all they can to catch the terrorists. Police officers who were on duty, with hardly any sleep, determined to keep Boston safe and to catch those who are responsible.
John Goodman also did a great job of portraying Commissioner Ed Davis and Kevin Bacon as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers of the FBI who worked tirelessly to control information in regards of who was responsible for the bombings but also coordinating their men for the manhunt.
J.K. Simmons as Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese of the Watertown PD who was there to take on one of the terrorists during a shootout. Jimmy O. Yang as Dun Meng, the man who was carjacked and held by gunpoint by the two terrorists for a long period of time until he made a major risk by bolting from his vehicle when one of the terrorists were preoccupied and managed to run and call police.
Peter Berg tries to show the loving side of both characters, Sgt. Pugliese with his wife and Dun Meng with a woman he met.
But “Patriots Day” also effectively pays tribute to those who lost their lives or those who were caught in the blast.
“Patriots Day” pays respect to MIT Officer Sean Collier (portrayed by Jake Picking) who was ambushed by the two terrorists and was killed. While he never had a chance to fight back, they tried to steal his weapon unsuccessfully. The film also tries to show the loving and friendly side of Collier, from going on a date with a student to him hanging out with his friends, singing a song and playing video games.
We also get to see victims such as couple, Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky, father Steve Woolfenden taking his young boy on a stroller to watch the Boston Marathon, both were near the first bomb that exploded. Berg shows the love between Patrick and Jessica and the father and son relationship with the Woolfenden’s.
Possibly a tough role were to play the terrorists and actors Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze no doubt had to pull off these individuals and show the audience of their mindset but also their cowardly, evil actions. The same with Melissa Benoist who plays the bomber’s wife and showing viewers on what happened when she was interrogated by law enforcement.
The film’s efficacy also helps with the real archived video of the terrorists and video caught from banks and at stores they were at. It helped remind audience that what people were watching, was the real deal.
I felt that filmmaker Peter Berg and his fellow writers did amazing job in crafting this drama-thriller by sticking to facts, despite the film focusing on a fictional character.
The 4K Ultra HD is wonderfully detailed during closeups and also features an impressive lossless soundtrack especially during the bombings, the gun battle exchanges, the explosions sounds quite amazing through the surround channels and the use of LFE. And the numerous special features included are also fascinating to watch and thankfully they are of good duration and not too short.
Overall, Peter Berg’s “Patriots Day” is well-made, well-researched, well-acted and felt that the film was a wonderful tribute to the heroes of the Boston Marathon Bombing and not being exploitative. Highly recommended!
