The Accountant (2016) - 6/10

I guess there is no accounting for taste.... I hate myself.  Cue the rubric.

 1. Acting 

The acting in this film isn't bad... it's just meh. I don't really blame the actors here since it's mostly just the material.

Ben Affleck does a serviceable job playing whatever this character is. The film is unwilling to go beyond 'high functioning autistic' and to his credit Affleck seems content to play it very subtle and undefined. In lesser hands it may have gone either too 'Rain Man' or too cool. The best part of the acting here is the physicality. It looks like Affleck did the bulk of his own stunt work which was a big part of the action sequences working so well.

Anna Kendrick is fine. 

J.K. Simmons seems like he's phoning it in a bit but he's just such an engaging actor that it doesn't matter. 

Jon Bernthal to a similar degree is playing his usual typecasting but he is so great it doesn't matter.

2. Cinematography 

 While nothing major stood out, I enjoyed how the film was shot. The action sequences in particular showed a deft hand that was grounded and easy to follow. It allowed the stunt choreography to shine. 

 

3. Production/Costume Design 

Competent but have little notes for this. 

4. Writing 

If nothing else, at least this film is trying to offer something different for an action thriller. The lead character being neurodivergent offers a few interesting challenges for the writing team. For instance, if your main character's brain works different then others, than how can you make sure the audience is able to connect with them. The solution the film seems content with is by putting him in a bunch of sympathetic situations. I don't know if its the most honest approach, but its effective. 

With that said, is this the best version of an autistic action lead? Autism is a spectrum so maybe someone like Christian is possible. But at the same time can you train away autism symptoms through behavioral conditioning and combat training? Would an autistic person who struggles with sensory challenges find shooting .50 cal a relaxing hobby? Is Christian a mathematics savant or a combat savant? Both? 

As for the thriller plot - there is some good and bad. I wasn't overly engrossed in the central mystery of  Living Robotics. It seems more to be an excuse to keep the plot moving and puts the various characters on their collision course. The better mystery plays out during the B-story as the audience gets to follow along with J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson as they unravel the shrouded backstory of Wolff. 

As for the 'twist' of the finale, I'm not sure it was earned throughout the runtime. I like a movie that keeps its cards close to the chest, but upon re-watch I fail to see any hinting at this outcome. It makes it all seem like a really big coincidence. And tha'ts fine - but you can't also expect the audience to turn around and go 'ohhhh ya! They're brothers that's so cool and touching'. 

Finally, its becoming a trope but I like when the villains final speech gets cut off abruptly with a swift bullet to the head or a similar button to the scene. So many movies do this now but its just so satisfying.

5. Sound Design 

Fine. 

6. Editing 

The film keeps things moving and I like the interwoven non-linear narrative pieces.  The fight sequences are also very clean and well edited which is always nice.

7. Visual Effects 

 Not a ton of explicit CGI but good integration with the stunt team and armorers to keep the action feeling realistic.

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

Like I said, I enjoyed that the film is trying to do something different with the lead here. This is a very bland movie without that particular aspect so its a worthwhile attempt.

9. Stunt Coordination 

By far the biggest strength of the film is its stunt work and choreography. And having leads that are willing/able to nail the physicality themselves really helps when shooting and editing these sequences and making them work well. 

10. Direction 

I have really enjoyed some of Gavin O'Connor's work and despite some of the harshness here, I was sufficiently entertained and find his skill as an action director commendable.

Legacy/Final Thoughts

I've given this film a lot of grief but there are hints of a good movie here. A lot of audiences were able to connect with it to a greater degree that I could and the film did modestly well at the box office. Enough even to warrant a sequel film releasing soon. 

But as far as a more meaningful legacy goes, I appreciate this movie for trying to put an action hero onscreen that is neurodivergent. In particular, I like the theme running throughout the movie that is constantly suggesting that those with ASD are capable of much more than most people think they are. Challenging that backwards notion and suggesting that neurotypicals don't have the right mindset about ASD is an important discussion.