Another winner from Linklater. Amazing actors give fantastic performances and share frank and honest conversation, about a myriad of issues, from life, to government, to faith and all around.
I was really surprised how GOOD this movie was... plenty of laughs and a great story. Bryan Cranston proves once again how terrific an actor he is. Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburn are also superb. 9/10
Despite being far from his best outings, Last Flag Flying is very much a Richard Linklater movie, and it bears all the defining traits of the director, from the focus on character-driven dialogue to the expert juxtaposition between humor and drama. The character interaction and their history suck you in and the movie feels much shorter than it is, which is a great accomplishment for the film, especially with it being as dialogue heavy as it is.
Bryan Cranston obviously got the more fun role to play, but I found the standout to be, as he often is these days, Steve Carell. The man is doing some exceptional work and just this year we've seen him in two completely different roles - this and as Bobby Riggs in Battle of the Sexes - and he has absolutely owned both of them.
Saw the ear scene on tiktok and the cast interested me. This was a pleasant surprise, very well made movie with a perfect cast.
Close but no cigar.
It had a few good points scattered in the first 2 thirds of the movie but ultimately it falls back to glorifying patriotism, the Marine Corps and 'Murica.
Unless it was implied that the letter in the end was not from Larry jr. but forged by Washington as part of a ploy to ease Larry's mind about burying his son as a Marine (as the colonel ordered), I don't see why they even put the lance corporal's internal conflict in the movie...
Excellent cast, the proof that Steve Carell is a good actor also in dramatic roles, even if his role is the less dominant. Talking about roles Bryan Cranston and Lawrence Fishburne are also exceptional, and the dialogue between the two are the foundation of a lot of interesting conversation and questions that the movie opens to the viewer. Speaking of wich, is necessary to recognize a tremendous job ondirection and screenplay.
Linklater is good, very good, his direction is subtle, intimate, he understood how this kind of movie should be directed in a way that makes you fell like you're there.
Screenplay is smart, narrates a story with empathy and realism, everyone in the movie feels credible, real, and the movie always touches uncovered nerves about war, trauma, real and fake patriotisms. It never idolizes war, and never stigmatize veterans, even if there are some black spots in the past.
This is a movie about humans and humanity, without judgement or absolute truths, and it is a really good movie.
One of my favorite kinds of movie are the ones that present an issue from several different angles so that the viewer can soak it all in and come to their own conclusions. This film excelled at this as at different times were presented with different views on morality, religion, war, the government and more. They key to doing this is to not be heavy-handed.
Anyway, I absolutely loved every minute of the film. The three leads were amazing (if you haven't seen Steve Carell in dramas then you are really missing out) and the characters had real depth. Finally, the ending was perfect.
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I really liked this movie. Was heart warming.
An incredibly touching and funny movie.
I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure from the tagline or the premise but it was a good movie.
I like movies which have a lot of dialog and flawed characters. This movie is like that.
Unofficial sequel to The Last Detail, changing character names, but continuing similar themes. Friendship, war, life and regret hit thematic high notes in a film that hinges on a group of men on a philosophical and thoughtful road trip.
Last flag flying is not the best or worst Richard Linklater movie. Have you even seen Boyhood? Why waste 10 years of your life when you can use CGI to make someone look younger? Anthony Hopkins judges you. Jokes apart, Boyhood is a really good movie but ( don't kill me for saying this), I would prefer School of rock to this. Imo nothing can beat the 'Befores'. That's a conversation for another day. So saying LFF is not his best/worst is not saying much because he has seen both ends of the spectrum (Don't get me started on EWS).
I went into this thinking this is gonna be caffeine for the Oscar voters. An argument can be made that it is. But, who doesn't love a lightweight buddy road-trip movie? Does it have memorable moments? Maybe yes/ maybe no. But while watching, I really don't care what's gonna stay with me for the next 1 year. I know those are pretty low expectations from someone who had me memorize the whole before sunrise. But, I appreciate the honesty in which the scenes are shaped. So I understand when in movies like this craft takes a backseat.
If I have to be harsh then yes, the characters are caricatures and disappoint you if you hope that would grow. There are cheesy moments scattered throughout the movie (One involving the vets trying to buy a mobile phone in the early 2000s) and only end up leaving the tiniest smiles.
Credit where it's due, RL handles the emotional scenes very well and this is where you appreciate his brilliance.My favourite being Carell wanting to see his son. This scene could've gone wrong in more ways than one. But Linklater takes care of it and this is where his masterful storytelling and direction mix perfectly. The cast is obviously a strong point. I'm mostly amazed by Carell who is now second to only Jake Gyllenhaal when it comes to choosing different and novel characters (And that's a big compliment).
So, to end with I would say that this movie doesn't upgrade slash downgrade my appreciation for Linklater but I'm really glad I didn't miss it. Which is what the whole point of making a movie should be, no?
Good cast with good chemistry. This feels like a Linklater movie. Just some guys hanging out trying to take his son's body home.
A road movie that could've used a bit more direction, but when you're in the company of Bryan Cranston and Steve Carell, you enjoy the ride nonetheless.
Emotional Ride. Being the father of three boys, I cannot even imagine the pain that those in this predicament experience. Some have claimed this film is anti-war, anti-America - However, I feel the father of the deceased expressed what many fathers and mothers who have lost children in war may ask. I could certainly understand and see myself asking the same questions. Doc, though proud of his son, asked legitimate questions. The slow pace of the film did not detract anything from film for me and the chemistry between the three men was great. The laughing, tension and bonding was touching. I hope I never experience what Doc went through. Thoroughly enjoyed this movie even though I was sad through most of it.
Shout by Pascal HartigBlockedParentSpoilers2018-02-26T22:38:10Z
This may sound heartless, but I did not expect to care about this movie. I was born after Vietnam, I'm not American, I never served and neither did any of my close friends. But this amazing cast elevated it to so much more than a movie about grief about a fallen soldier.
You can see many different things in this movie, but for me it was a movie about friendship. Trying to bond again when that connective tissue you once had is no longer there. Over the course of the road trip Fishburne, Carell and Cranston manage to converge and ultimate rediscover there old friendship, creating one of the most heartwarming stories I've seen recently.