CHICAGO – The Steppenwolf Theatre of Chicago continues to provide different viewpoints on the American stage, and their latest “Little Bear Ridge Road” is no exception. Featuring ensemble member Laurie Metcalf, it’s the resonate story of a family at the crossroads. For tickets/details, click LITTLE BEAR.
Film Review: ‘The Accountant’ is a Strange Indulgence for Ben Affleck
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CHICAGO – Remember the hilarious video of Ben Affleck during the “Batman v Superman” promotions, his blank stare synched up to the song “The Sound of Silence”? Well, he’s decided to take that expression to a mainstream role, as he blankly applies that manner to “The Accountant.”
![]() Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
The problem with the film is that it had no presence, it’s as blank as Ben’s interpretation of his character. This also has a narrative that has to explain a lot of points –backgrounds and circumstances and situations – mostly told through J.K. Simmons as yet another bureaucrat, and it becomes very muddled. The story is a cat-and-mouse game with no interest generated for either animal, and it dies on the vine pretty early. In addition, where “The Accountant” actually came from, and how he possesses his powers, is both disingenuous and trivializes the actual condition in such a scenario.
Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a person of interest, even though from outside appearances he looks to be an ordinary accountant in Plainfield, Illinois. The Treasury department, headed by caseworker Ray King (J.K. Simmons) suspects that Wolff is a numbers cruncher for several nefarious criminal organizations. The deeper it gets, the more Wolff seems to be involved.
When Lamar Black (John Lithgow) hires Wolff for his robotics firm, the suspicions rise as to what the company is actually doing. Using his mental acuity, Wolff figures out the complexities of the ledgers, aided by the company’s bookkeeper Dana (Anna Kendrick). Suddenly both of them become a target, and the revelations involved are connected to both The Accountant’s past and future.
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Crunching the Numbers: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is ‘The Accountant’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
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