Review of Last Flag Flying (2017) by Mark G — 03 Jun 2018

A slow-moving and gentle film that relies on its lead performances to maintain audience interest. Cranston, who has the showiest role and the best lines is a pleasure to watch. His acerbic wit provides relief when it seems the story will become mawkish. He is particularly effective in the films most significant and emotional scene where the three men visit the mother of a soldier they saw KIA. The power of the scene is also due to it being relatively under-written compared to the rest of this dialogue heavy movie.

However, it feels about 30 minutes too long. Some scenes serve little purpose except to express the directors opinions or observations and they interrupt the flow of the story. Maybe it's a case of the director being unable to 'kill his darlings'. A scene where Cranston talks about mobile phones (the film is set in 2003) feels like pure self-indulgence from Linklater.

The last act is almost undone by the funeral scene, which feels at odds with what has gone before. A maudlin song is played over the ceremony, while the scene strives for emotion. But it feels overworked and borders on being banal. The film is also let down by some lazy camerawork and it can sometimes feel like watching low budget TV.

Overall, a quietly touching film, enhanced by its actors and let down by its length and poor production values.