Review of Stronger (2017) by Kj P — 25 Sep 2017

I usually don't let emotions take over when watching a film, but when a movie focusses all of its attention to the harsh realities of the true story it's conveying, it's not to get a little teary-eyed. With last years release of Patriots Day, the very idea of this film had be worried that they were trying to bank off this tragedy, but that can't be further from the truth with Stronger. Many may not find this film to be quite as emotionally powerful as I did, but I feel that most people will have to agree that it's done impeccably well in that regard. Here is why Stronger deserves its critical praise and why you'll probably be hearing about this film throughout award season very soon.

Thousands of people gather around to watch the Boston marathon, but nobody expected the event that occurred by the finish line. Stronger exists to open the eyes of those who saw this man (Jeff Bauman) as a hero. While he's the personification of a fighter, which makes him a hero to others, this story is also an exposé for everyone across the planet that has lost someone in a horrific way, or those who have been through a tragedy and must live with newfound consequences. Focussing on the hardships of what he went through after this tragedy, I was so glad to see a more global feel when sharing emotions with its audience.

Look, I know this may be too early to state, seeing that many more films are coming this year, but if both Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany both don't receive nominations for their performances here, I'll be genuinely shocked. When it comes to stories like this, you need to perfect your casting in order to make the audience believe this really happened, and my compliments toward these two young performers couldn't be any higher here. Every second either of them were on-screen, I found myself transfixed and completely sucked into their world. These two deliver what is quite possibly the performances of their careers, even though they both already have quite impressive resumes.

This man had already been through a lot before his incident, so having to go through this and find a way to live a somewhat normal life was always going to be a challenge. Nobody could've expected him to recover to full normality, but he definitely does the best he can, given certain circumstances. From a family that just wants to joke around most of the time, to being in a love/hate relationship with the girl of his dreams, to having to deal with the loss of his legs and never being able to live a normal life, this is a very hard journey to take in, even though it's incredibly well-done.

In the end, I left this film feeling empowered and saddened all at the same time. The roller coaster of emotions that Stronger sends you on it definitely one of the most powerful experiences you will have all year, whether or not you directly relate to it or not. With pulse-pounding realism, world-class performances, an emotionally resonant climax, and an overall journey that I believe everyone needs to experience, this is one of the best films of the year by far, at least in my opinion. I would be shocked if it's not talked about throughout award season. Stronger is the very definition of powerful, and although it can be hard to take in at times, I can't recommend checking this film out enough.