Last Flag Flying

Greetings again from the darkness. Apprehension and trepidation are the emotions that strike whenever anyone compares a movie to the classic 1973 Hal Ashby/ Jack Nicholson film THE LAST DETAIL. That holds true even if the novel the film is based on was written by the same author (Darryl Ponicson) who wrote "The Last Detail" (1970), and even if the new film is directed by one of the finest directors working today – Richard Linklater. This latest doesn't play like a true sequel, but the reuniting of three men who served together in Vietnam does hammer home a couple of interesting statements while also delivering the type of dramedy that 2017 audiences tend to connect with.

Larry "Doc" Shepherd (Steve Carell), a former Navy medic, has had the type of year that no one deserves. It's 2003 and he has just been notified that his Marine son was killed in action while on duty in the war in Iraq. This comes only a few months after Doc lost his beloved wife to breast cancer. It's too much for him to handle on his own, so he embarks on a mission to ask his Vietnam buddies from three decades prior to accompany him to claim his son's body at Arlington National Cemetery.

His two buddies are former Marines Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishbourne). Sal is a washed out dive bar owner and Mueller is now the Reverend at a small church. The three men share the burden of a war secret that each has tried to forget, and they begin what's basically a road trip movie of middle aged men bonding during what is the absolute low point in life for one of them. Simultaneously, it also seems like an opportunity for all three to rejoin the living.

Lost idealism is the shared trait now among the three men, though their levels of cynicism vary. Edwin Starr sang it, and the characters in this movie openly question: War … What is it good for? Doc, Sal and Mueller have separated themselves from memories of war in three distinct ways – family, booze, and God. It's only by reconnecting with each other that they begin the long overdue process of reflection. TV's are tuned to the capture of Saddam Hussein from the spider-hole, and the similarities of the Vietnam and Iraq wars are contemplated. These are patriotic men who once trusted the government, but are now so disenchanted they ask "what's the point?"

Mr. Cranston has the showiest role, but it's Mr. Carell who shines as the still-in-shock father. J Quinton Johnson also excels as the young Marine charged with accompanying the gentlemen, and the best scene of the film features Cicely Tyson as the mother of a long ago fallen soldier who crossed paths with the three leads. As you might expect in a Linklater movie, the musical choices are unusual and spot on. Bob Dylan ("Not Dark Yet"), Neil Young ("Old Man"), Eminem ("Without Me"), and Levon Helm ("Wide River to Cross") are all included.

The film is certainly an unusual blend of comedy, tragic drama, and contemporary political commentary. Unfortunately, the contrivances are too many and too frequent to allow the film and characters to breathe and achieve the greatness of a true message movie. It teases us with flashes us brilliance and then pokes us in the ribs with another goofy sidebar as if to say "just kidding". It seems this would have been better served as an intimate portrayal of these three aging men who were willing to die for their country than as a giant political anti-war statement and an accusation of how evil the government is. The ultimate message Linklater drills home: be a good friend, and be a good person. We can never have enough of those.

Last Flag Flying is a comedy/drama from the acclaimed director of Boyhood and Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater. It stars Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston as three friends from the Vietnam War who get back together when Carell's son dies in action.

Despite the serious subject matter, this movie is absolutely hilarious. Cranston is absolute comedic gold. He hasn't been as funny as he is here since his Malcolm in the Middle days, and even then he may not have been quite as funny as he is here.

You would think going in that Carell would be the comedian here, but instead he is the dramatic anchor. Carell gives a surprisingly emotional performance, keeping the comedy to a minimum.

Fishburne is between the two, giving both comedy and drama when it's needed. Of the three it is hard to say which gives the best performance, but the edge must go to Cranston. The movie would probably be ten times more boring without him. There are scenes where Cranston single-handedly made the entire audience in my theater howl with laughter.

Last Flag Flying doesn't just give comedy however, it also tackles a great amount of issues that a lesser film would not have pulled off. This film explores the purpose of life, a subject that Linklater is very good at tackling. I would list some of the other issues it tackles, but if I did i would probably be here all day.

This movie is definitely not perfect. Near the middle it starts to drag, which is not that large of an issue, but for one or two scenes it is noticeable.

There is also a very manufactured conflict in the film. It feels like the writers stuck it in just so there was a conflict of some sort, but it easily could have been taken out and the movie would not have changed.

Another issue involves tone. There are a couple scenes where I genuinely could not tell if the film was trying to be serious or funny, but this, like all of the other flaws, is not that big of a deal.

Overall, I recommend Last Flag Flying because of both its hilarity and its drama. It is one of the funniest movie of the year and very profound, despite its flaws.

I give Last Flag Flying a B+.

Vietnam vet Larry "Doc" Shepherd (Steve Carell) tracks down a pair of his old military friends: foul-mouthed and hard-drinking barkeep Sal (Bryan Cranston), and minister Mueller (Laurence Fishburne). Doc asks his two friends to accompany him to pick up the remains of his son, a Marine killed in Iraq. The three men set out on an odyssey to have the young man buried and to perhaps put some old ghosts to rest themselves.

This was based on the 2003 novel by Darryl Ponicsan, which was a sequel to his 1970 novel The Last Detail, which was memorably filmed in 1973 with Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid. Linklater, who co-wrote the script with Ponicsan, decided to alter this follow-up in several ways, changing the character names and a lot of their back story, but the essential dynamic is the same. I enjoyed this film well enough, but as a big fan of The Last Detail, I spent much of this movie's runtime comparing it, and wondering what might have been had this been filmed 15 years ago and with the original film's cast returning to their roles (Otis Young passed away in 2001, before the sequel novel was published). Seeing at least Nicholson and Quaid return in those roles would have been really something else.

All that aside, this is still a largely enjoyable movie, with good performances and some nice, quiet character moments. The film seems to want to say something about veterans, and what they feel and how they deal with the rest of their lives, and how they end up viewing their country that they sacrificed for but who may have ultimately been lying to them. However, the script doesn't put these thoughts together in a clear enough fashion to be making any kind of definitive statement, but it may be the case that there really isn't one. It's odd to think that a movie set in 2003 is a period piece, but it is, and much is made of a visit by the three aging buddies to a cell phone store to check out the new-fangled technology. I'm curious how this movie will be viewed by actual Vietnam-era military veterans.

Richard Linklater on Last Flag Flying: 'We're not meant to kill. We're not cut out for it' I agree. This film hits the right tone, respectful to the men who have served this country, while also pointing out the futility of war. The ensemble cast is brilliant: Steve Carell does such a subtle job with a great deal of poignancy and what can you say about Bryan Cranston's burned out veteran who is constantly looking for a good time, while Laurence Fishburne is marvelous as a pastor. Such a wonderful film... another great film by Linklater.

Loved this movie, it makes you feel like you're one of the buddies going on this trip with them. It's hilarious and moving and the acting is phenomenal. I'm really surprised it doesn't have a higher rating, it feels like it's a wonderful classic. Definitely watch it!