Dzień patriotów

The scenes of the Boston Marathon blast are really powerful in themselves and the subsequent chase with the terrorists works excellently, primarily the shootout in Watertown is polished and clearly true to life as much as was at all possible. It was maybe unnecessarily too full of pathos and characters (in some places the movie loses momentum terribly). Berg is good at realistic reconstructions, but the mass of authentic shots detracted a little from the power of the picture. There isn’t much shine to Reznor’s soundtrack this time round. (14.01.2018)

As expected. From the filmmaking point of view, Peter Berg did not disappoint. The explosions at the marathon and the subsequent confusion are filmed so well that you will bate your breath. It literally makes you feel like you are there with the cameraman. But this is where all the positives of this movie end. Unless you like American hysteria and an emphasis on patriotism. But that is, after all, apparent already from the title of the film, so count on the portrayal of America as the unique country and there is a number of characters in the film, who, of course, make it so unique. (27.10.2017)

Peter Berg finally graduated as a filmmaker with flying colours, spoiled only by Wahlberg, whom I didn't believe as a policeman. A lot of people here are praising the shootout, but I would single out other moments. In the beginning Berg gives a great dose of suspense, when you know what is coming but you are still on your toes, the insight into the FBI investigation was interesting (the whole reconstruction with hi-tech gadgets) and the scene of the interrogation of the wife of one of the terrorists was excellent. I didn't mind the pathos, that's just the way America is, proud. The final soaring speeches were somehow superfluous, I could have done without them. PS: Extra points for assuring us that terrorists are idiots who believe 9/11 was a plot by the US government. You don't have to go far to see that there are plenty of such morons walking around the world. Just read the reader comments on Novinky.cz and you’ll see that yes, this is a clear demonstration of the "flowering of the intellectual elite of the Czech nation". (30.04.2017)

After the tranquil introduction leading to the explosion, Patriots Day escalates in an exciting hunt for the bombers and, conversely, their attempt to get away. I don’t want to exaggerate, but I don’t think we’ve seen such an engaging, authentic street shootout since Michael Mann’s Heat. Berg recreates the events by mixing real documentary shots with a thriller movie, and whether he embellishes the story or not, the result looks great. It’s perfectly balanced in terms of character portrayal, narrative dynamics and the tolerability of the patriotic elements. At some moments, I was riveted to my seat. (27.01.2017)

A well-grasped narrative style. The main characters are introduced while explaining the concept of the plot twist, the key event of the bombing and the gradually tightening noose. Something similar worked very well in Zero Dark Thirty, with the difference that it was better balanced dramaturgically. Patriots Day has a lot of pathetic dross in the form of testimony from actual witnesses to the event and various pieces of wisdom from the main characters that are not very on point, and when they are, they are just clumsily handled. If you overlook this shortcoming and the fact that it steals a good 10-20 minutes from the film, you can't help but marvel at Berg's grasp of action and the dynamics of the action sequences, because the shootout in the streets is frenetic, volatile and yet incredibly raw and clear – and it’s also the scene after which the end credits should have rolled. If he could work with characters and the build-up of the story like Michael Mann, we'd all be whistling because it would be a full-on hit. (20.03.2017)