Stronger

(RATING: ☆☆☆☆½ out of 5 )

GRADE: B+

THIS FILM IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: A gritty and emotional film that couldn't ask for a stronger performance than the one given by Jake Gyllenhaal.

SYNOPSIS: A biography of Jeff Bauman, a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing.

JIM'S REVIEW: The odds against Jeff Bauman surviving the horror of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing were slim and the chances any moviegoer won't be moved to tears and uplifted by this one man's personal tale of survival while experiencing David Gordon Green's Stronger are even less.

This heartfelt film takes on the before and after view of this common man. First seen as a hometown boy (before being cast as an hometown hero to the world), Jeff (Jake Gyllenhaal) was a fun-loving avid Boston Red Sox fan caught in an on-again / off again relationship with his girlfriend, Erin (Tatianna Maslany). He lived an ordinary life, one filled with bars, beer, and blue collar stock characters. Then came the terrorist bombing which changed everything.

The story itself is predictable and manipulative, yet emotionally gripping. John Pollono's screenplay follows the formula to the T, or should I say from Point A (the horrific event) to Point B (overcoming the obstacles and hardships) to its uplifting Point C ending (pride and redemption). That said, it all works most effectively, due its honest depiction of a man in crisis.

And having that person played by the talented Mr. Gyllenhaal, a fine method actor who immersed himself in this real life role, gives the film the honest integrity and authenticity the film needs which helps to separate the movie from most biographies that wallow in self-pity and inner strength. Watching him struggle to come to terms with his injuries and finally walk with two prosthetic legs is gut-wrenching and Mr. Gyllenhaal shows his character's human flaws and intrinsic hopes with the least amount of melodramatic excess. His performance deserves award recognition.

Where the film truly succeeds is in avoiding the clichés of most biopics by making our hero too heroic and unreal. Mr. Gordon's direction is concise and insightful. He never allows Stronger to weaken. His film doesn't flinch from the ugly side of Jeff's rehabilitation, his dysfunctional family, and his sacrifices just to lead a normal life. It wisely covers the issue of instant fame and becoming a pawn for network news, a necessary symbol of courage for a nation, even if our hero wants none of that adoration. The film does end on an inspirational false note, as most film biopics do, in a scene at the ballpark that takes a misstep into gross sentimentality and an unabashed shout-out to patriotism. But the story always remains compelling and the acting is superb.

The rest of the cast could easily have played their parts rather routinely and still bring about the emotional clout: suffering girlfriend, loyal friends, worrisome parents, etc. But the actors shy away from the obvious and give their characters some gravitas. Ms. Maslany makes a fine partner as Jeff's supporting girlfriend, showing the pain and frustration beautifully. Carlos Sanz as the man who saved Jeff's life during the bombing, has a quiet and touching scene that is so nuanced and heartbreaking in its subtlety. It shows the collective despair of survivors and their kin. Miranda Richardson, as Jeff's boozy mother, is so memorable in her supporting role that she becomes unrecognizable, creating an indelible character while exposing her human flaws. Her rivalry with Erin brings needed tension to the family dynamics which separates this film from the run-of-the-mill inspirational saga. There are many scenes of undeniable pathos and melancholy, insightful moments in time, especially the parking lot confrontation between the two leads that builds to an emotional zenith.

Stronger is a rarity, a powerful film based on a true life story that is true to life. With a strong central performance, fine direction, and a screenplay that works on many emotional levels, this is one of the year's most satisfying dramas. Do not miss it!

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A lackluster retail employee and irresponsible boyfriend has the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then his family drink, swear, and fight. As per virtually every movie set in working class Boston. Only this one is based on truth, so I guess it is what it is. Are there no more God-fearing blue collar people?

Gyllenhaal is great, as usual. So is the unknown Canadian playing his girlfriend. Not much of a plot. Just a poor nobody recovering from misfortune, surrounded by low life people. Enjoy.

Let me start off by saying that what this film is based on, truly is really really powerful and really inspirational. It also makes you realize what simple things in life we take for granted, like walking. If that suddenly gets taken away from you it's like your world falls apart.. everyone around you suddenly needs to adapt as well and it just breaks a lot of relationships.. yet Jeff Bauman, in this film portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal shows us how to recover from such a terrible thing and to live life to the fullest.

The film itself portrayed this event, yet.. it felt lacking. Jake Gyllenhaal did an outstanding job in my oppinion but overall the general film felt quite boring and a drag.. the plot felt repetitive and lacked depth, just like the characters did. It definitely had some powerful moments in the film, but it felt like it didn't do true justice over the actual event. Overall it was not a bad film, it just felt like it had more potential than it brought out.

After a tragedy occurs, telling the stories of the individuals affected is often the best way for others to understand and relate to what happened. That's what the 2017 biographical drama "Stronger" (R, 1:56) does with the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and the story of victim Jeff Bauman. He only survived because another bystander, Carlos Arredondo, ran to the scene of the explosion, put tourniquets on both of Jeff's legs, placed him in a wheelchair and helped get him into an ambulance. A New York Times photo by Josh Haner, which showed Jeff in that wheelchair, with Carlos at his side, became iconic. Responding to widespread interest in his story, he joined forces with best-selling author Bret Witter to write what became the 2014 book "Stronger", which is the basis for this film.

Before the Marathon Bombing, Jeff Bauman (Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal) was an unremarkable, anonymous guy born and raised in Boston. He worked at Costco and loved his hometown sports teams – especially the Red Sox – to the point of superstition and even obsession. He lived in a modest apartment with his divorced alcoholic mother, Patty (Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson). Jeff was obsessed with local girl Erin Hurley (Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany), whom he had dated… and who had already broken up with him three times. On the night of April 14, 2003, Jeff and Erin were still apart when she came into a neighborhood bar where Jeff and his friends were watching the Red Sox game on TV. He went over to talk to her, helped her get the other bar patrons to contribute to her effort to raise money by participating in the marathon and he promised to be there for her the next day at the finish line holding a sign.

The next day, as Jeff's waiting for Erin at the end of the course, a man bumps into him and Jeff turns to look at the guy who is walking away. Jeff looks down at something in the street. Then comes the explosion. Jeff finds himself on the ground lying in a pool of his own blood. Erin hears the sound ahead of her. She stops running, ducks into a local bar and sees on the TV a picture of Jeff, injured and being tended to by strangers. She rushes to the hospital, where Jeff's family and friends were also gathering. Jeff's father (Clancy Brown) fumes and even lashes out at Jeff's boss (Danny McCarthy) who shows up to offer help. After waiting anxiously, Jeff's loved ones learn that doctors had to amputate both legs above the knees. When he wakes up, not only does he manage to keep his sense of humor and his usual positive attitude (relatively speaking, of course), he's also able to give the FBI valuable information about the bombing.

Obviously, Jeff survives, but his life and the lives of those closest to him are changed forever. We see the pain and discomfort that Jeff's injuries cause him – both in the hospital and when he finally gets to come home – and we follow him as he adjusts to life without legs and begins the long and difficult recovery process. He receives gifts and well wishes from all over the world, he's greatly in demand for media interviews and he is given the opportunity to make public appearances at Bruins and Red Sox games. He goes along with much of it, but he really doesn't want any of it. He doesn't even want to meet with Carlos (Carlos Sanz), the man who saved his life. Jeff says that he doesn't want to be reminded of the worst day of his life. Jeff wants to walk again, but he approaches the challenge half- heartedly. He needs the love and support of his family, his friends and, especially Erin, even though he often treats them unkindly and even pushes them away. He doesn't want to be famous or inspirational, but it's out of his control. Something has got to give.

"Stronger" is a somewhat inspirational, but mostly bland bio-pic. With no disrespect to Jeff Bauman or any of the others directly or indirectly affected by the Boston Marathon Bombing, their individual stories are interesting, but aren't necessarily best served in the format of a feature film. Having said that, this one does about as good of a job as can be expected, given its limited focus. The screenplay by writer-actor John Pollono (who plays Tyler on TV's "This is Us") adapts the book of the film's title without being exploitive or flashy, telling the story almost entirely chronologically and only occasionally drifting into melodrama. Director David Gordon Green (mainly known for producing and directing TV series like "East Bound & Down" and "Vice Principals") does here what he did with 2014's "Manglehorn" and 2015's "Our Brand is Crisis", telling a story solidly, but making it less impactful than it probably should've been.

Green does, however, often get excellent performances out of his actors and this film is no exception. Gyllenhaal is as great as he was in similarly emotional roles like the desperate astronaut in "Life" (2017), the grieving father in "Nocturnal Animals" (2016) and the down-and-out boxer in "Southpaw" (2015), while Richardson and Maslany completely inhabit their roles. All three are award-worthy, especially Maslany in her most high-profile feature film role to date, following her personal triumph that is TV's "Orphan Black". In this film, she will be a revelation to many Movie Fans, while they may also notice and wonder how Gyllenhaal manages to continue giving exceptional performances in high-quality films every single year. This one may not be as exceptional as some man-versus-self films, but it's worth a look. "B"

Gyllenhaal always gives 110% to any role. He nails the Boston accent, and also shows the anger and frustration of the rehabilitation journey, along with how he reconciles with his ex girlfriend. Gyllenhaal not only is a phenomenal actor here, but his comedy shines through too. He does has chemistry with actress Tatiana Maslany.

My big issue is that the characters who portray Jeff's family are all stooges, and they are just loud and unhelpful throughout. Jeff's mom especially is a piece of work and a lot of her one liners are crass. The one credible side character was Jeff's Costco manager, who doesn't have much screen time.

I think what would have made the movie better is showing more of Jeff's anxiety of becoming a father, how he returned back to work, and how he came to terms with PTSD. While this biopic did cover a lot of ground, i admit it was repetitious and uninspiring.

This flopped at the box office, so take your pick. I think it's worth watching this just to see Gyllenhaal's acting range.