Last Flag Flying

Last Flag Flying (2017)

A great, low-key mixture of comedy and sadness. The more it went on the more I appreciated the situation, which unfolds like a play, and the ensemble acting, which is sharp. Bryan Cranston steals the show as the outgoing practical bartender veteran, but Laurence Fishburne and Steve Carell are really spot on, too, in deliberately restrained ways. The film is trying to get to something here. At first it seems to be about some guys coming to terms with their time in Viet Nam, and how it compromised them then, with repurcussions ever onward. Then a slow critique of war and of the US approach to war, pretending everyone in uniform is always a hero, and fighting for questionable (or worse) causes. But an important third element grows-the actual meaning these men have for each other. They hadn't seen each other in decades, but their comraderie was almost unbroken because of some deep bond formed in wartime. And when it really comes down to it, even as they reject and hate the government for what they were forced to do, they still understood honor and respect. Including a love of country, somehow. That it's there, despite the flaws. Or something like that. (There are complications, and it would be easy and shameful to oversimplify.) The big point is: see this and give it time to settle in and warm up. The three men are deliberately an odd mix, and there are a couple of scenes that are rather too neatly contrived to make a fast point in the narrative, but overall it makes sense and is moving.

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.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Last Flag Flying" (2017) has to say something about war and politics. It does not like either of them. What i did like about this movie was not its message, perhaps, but acting and writing. On its core its a 2 hours road movie with some war veterans who share some dark secret. There are no revelations at the end of they journey, but there is some sort of accomplishment of what they did on the road.

Overall, while "Last Flag Flying" isn't as good as Richard Linklater's previous movies (far from it), i did enjoy this picture entirely because of veteran actors doing good job and reading fine lines. This is a very anti-war movie without a war and a solid road drama.

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+.

When looking at the total body of work of writer/director/producer Richard Linklater, it would appear that this is a guy that relishes on throwing the movie going public constant curveballs. From the indie darling "Slacker," (which people like Kevin Smith cite as a film that helped them become a filmmaker to begin with) to the "Before" trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, cult hits like "Dazed and Confused" and "SubUrbia" and the Oscar darling "Boyhood," his diversity in storytelling is one that makes sure that can challenge both himself and the audience. When I found out that his latest venture was adapting and directing Darryl Poniscan's novel (which Poniscan also helped with the screenplay) "Last Flag Flying," I was definitely intrigued by yet another left turn for Linklater.

In this film set near the end of 2003, Steve Carell plays Larry "Doc" Shepherd, who shows up at the bar owned by Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) after not seeing each other for almost thirty years since they served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam together. With shared experiences that they are not sure they want to talk about, they seek out their third running buddy from those days in Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne), who is now a reverend in a small church. As they are all catching up with each other, Shepherd drops on them his reason for getting together: his son (a Marine himself) has been killed overseas, and he wants Mueller and Nealon to come with him to not only help bury him but along the way heal themselves and each other.

This film was a pleasant surprise for me. The vibe that I got from the one sheet and reading about it was one where I thought would venture into darkness and politics quickly and for the duration of the two hours that it would be on the screen. While there is not much more than a smattering of preachiness here, it is Poniscan's story of these three characters that is relied on to keep things moving, as it should be. These three actors are such powerhouses in their own rights that their work together makes this story even more powerful and even fun. There are some great comedic moments, driven mostly by Cranston's character, that keep the balance of "Last Flag Flying" in perfect harmony with its drama and emotion.

There is also a "name to watch" here in J. Quinton Johnson. Mainly known for being one of the victims of the horrid "Dirty Dancing" experiment earlier this year, don't let that fool you. This young man, as the best friend of Shepherd's son who was there with him when he passed, shows amazing emotional range and compassion that shines through even as he shares the frame with some of the biggest actors of the last three decades. His performance is truly impressive, and I look for much bigger things for him in the future.

Amazon Studios continues to gain steam with their cinematic choices, and along with Lionsgate, they have another winner with "Last Flag Flying". Releasing over Veterans' Day weekend, this is a very respectful and engaging telling of a tale of our service men and women both current and former that runs the gambit of emotion and is truly a great way to spend a couple of hours in any form.