The Accountant

The Accountant is a hit emotional thriller with some perfect action and a perhaps unnecessarily overcomplicated story with a lot of details that will make sense in later scenes and bring a big surprise to the story (“Do you like puzzles?”). At least on the first viewing. On the second viewing, which I did because of the difficult decision between four and five stars, my enthusiasm over the super-clever script turned into mere delight over a cleverly constructed genre movie. But the emotions remained. (30/11/2016)

If you ignore the overcomplicated plot, the laughable attempts at psychological profoundness and the weird twists, it works fine. The statuesque Affleck is a good choice for the character of an autist (regardless of whether his character has anything to do with the real capabilities of an autist). The action is good and executed without hesitation; a 7/10 overall, and I’m rounding up for how they settle the tab with the main villain. (16/11/2016)

How could the Oscars have given this movie a snub? The Accountant is such a great movie, in fact the best American movie I have seen in a while. And who would have thought that Ben Affleck would be a part of that again? That Affleck about whom most of us used to think he is not much of an actor. Well and in this film he portrays the weirdest of weird characters who not only behaves stangely, but he manages to give us a pleasant surprise with some great flim-making moments in the course of the film. Nevertheless, I don’t want to appreciate only the acting performances, I would like to focus on the story as well, which may seem a bit confusing at the beginning, only to turn into a glorious epic after about an hour that tells the epic story of an accountant who will undoubtedly become the best accountant in the whole wide world. On top of that, you get the incredibly natural Anna Kendrick, who once again simply plays herself. She made me so happy as she had done in Up in the Air. Well and J. K. Simmons? Since Whiplash he has been putting in one great performance after another. The Accountant is simply a film-making balm on the human soul that will playfully remind you of the best of America at a time when not too many good things seem to be coming out of that country. Well, good on them! (05/05/2017)

All right, autistic people are beautiful creatures, but don't give them weapons and super computers, because they'll probably start a secret service. I haven't seen a film in a long time that falls apart so grandiose after a captivating introduction. The first part, where the viewer actually watches the very routine actions of the main character and a few hints, is not boring and attracts with promises of interesting revelations. Gavin O'Connor also directs very smoothly and elegantly. The second half, where the information deficit is being addressed and something needs to be unraveled quickly, was probably written in a secret collaboration between Cimrman and Jarchovský. I haven't seen an explanatory monologue used worse since Innocence. When J. K. Simmons, with his feet on the table, explaining 90% of the story, it's on the verge of non-art. And the final revelations are really almost a crazy comedy. If at the beginning the question arises as to whether realism and action exaggeration will be fighting against each other in the film, the conclusion offers a ready-made orgy of things that do not fit together. I absolutely appreciate the grace with which both Affleck and (again amazing) Bernthal handle the WTF moments. And I don't have to be autistic to figure it out. (01/01/2017)

A sophisticated B-movie, which pretends to be serious but in fact it’s a movie about a guy who combines Will Hunting/Jason Bourne/John Nash/Frank Castle/Raymond Babbitt/John Wick. Simply put Chuck Norris doesn’t stand a change. So a mathematical autistic outstanding genius accountant is chasing everyone with a gun in his hand and tries to cope with matters of the heart and uncompromising fatherly love among countless headshots. Simply B-movie, roller-coaster ride. The movie is simply a lot of fun. It shouldn't work on paper and it should have been silly and have had potential to win this year's Golden Raspberries Award. But... But contrary to all expectations, it works. And really well (especially in the first half). It's distinctive in a way good-old European crime movie of 1970s used to be. The only weak point is silly effort for the final twist, relying on the identity of one of the characters. At the same time, it was only in the middle of the movie when I realized that the characters/viewers, according to the creators, probably are not supposed know it from the very beginning. (03/11/2016)

Definitely one of the surprises of the year. This intricate psychological drama about autism, O'Connor is interspersed with John Wick-style brutal, kick-ass action. Affleck is brilliantly cast. The story moves along nicely and there’s always something happening. Even the accounting part is entertaining. No shortage of witty situations involving Ben vs. the Normal World. Bernthal makes a great villain. Imagine Batman vs. Punisher, who wouldn’t watch that? (04/11/2016)

Ex Navy Seals dudes got their asses handed to them by Denzel Washington in Equalizer, so they did a rematch in The Accountant and got their asses handed to them again, this time by Ben Affleck. It's not nearly as spectacular and visually captivating as former, but thanks to an interesting crime premise and great actors, it's no less entertaining, but on a slightly different note. The action is raw, manly and clear. The script, given the film's concept, is atypical, with some interesting digressions that usually make for the best acting (Bernthal - brotherly bond, Simmons - self-doubt, Lithgow - the practices of corporate politics), so the final impression is more than pleasant. One of the most compact little big action thrillers of recent times. (05/11/2016)

Unfortunately, I didn't trust Ben Affleck with this character for even a moment (well, okay, in the action scenes let's say I did, but that's probably not what it was supposed to be about). Moreover, the story is one that can surprise the viewer, but surprise him with such unbelievable shenanigans that he can't help but shake his head at them. (01/05/2017)

O'Connor disappointed me. Warrior was the best made cliché in history and completely blew me away, The Accountant is as cold as a woman on her period and downright insulting when it fails to end its so cleverly written story with progressively more significant themes in a way that would be at least somewhat memorable (and instead pulls off the most inappropriate twist for a narrative so serious and smart throughout). No one can deny the film is excellently cast (Affleck is perfect for the role), has balls, and the idea of a bespectacled autistic bureaucrat as a bad ass motherfucker terminator is awfully cool, but the director can only sell all that potential entertainment in a few action moments, otherwise he can't handle the surprising dramatic superficiality, unfortunately. And I was really looking forward to it. 65% (08/12/2016)

To my own amazement, I gave five stars to a film starring Ben Affleck. What’s the world coming to? On the other hand, the role of an autistic guy must have been tailor-made for his expressionless face. The script ran like clockwork, and I had a great time, especially when it was revealed who the all-knowing woman on the phone was. As a bonus, I got J.K. Simmons and John Lithgow, so I couldn't give a lower rating even if I wanted to. (11/04/2017)

Something felt slightly lacking to me, although I'm not sure what it was. Maybe I was a bit bothered by Affleck trying to channel Rain Man, but these are really just minor issues that don't detract from this solid action thriller. It perhaps has a slightly too romantic ending, which is a pity because otherwise, it's brilliantly gritty. (09/01/2017)