‘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.”

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.

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Crunching the Numbers: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is ‘The Accountant’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

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. 


It’s a multi-layered story, to a fault, and piles on until there is nothing left to understand. The violent side of Wolff, depicted through a series of flashbacks, seemed tacked onto the more intriguing side of his personality, which is his savant-like perspective on numbers and ledgers – recruit him for the Office of Management and Budget! The cold killer side is same-old, same-old in this type of film, but the audience was still cheering the gun and the head shot.

There was also confusion as to why the Accountant set up his life the way he did. He keeps an office in Plainfield, tending to farmers and small businesses who can’t keep their books correctly (hint: write it off), yet he keeps a secret lair that is only in the movies, filled with rare paintings and weaponry (natch). Why go through all the trouble in Plainfield? Why not just hide out on some tropical island? Like youth is wasted on the young, wealth is wasted on the Accountant.

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Lunch Break: Dana (Anna Kendrick) Breaks Bread with ‘The Accountant’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Old Ben Affleck has been on a down streak in his career, besides “Gone Girl” (where he was brilliant), Ever since the Oscar winning “Argo” it’s been years of roles like this, where he seems drugged (even as Batman). As Wolff, he attempts to do some method acting, given the man’s autistic condition, but it just comes off as dull and stiff. And Anna Kendrick is weird in this one as well. Her perkiness is suppose to be a contrast to the Accountant, but she never comes across seriously as any type of business person (see “Up in the Air”). She was hilarious in “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” this summer, and should do more comedy.

Ah, career advice, I dispense it well. That is the role of the film critic, “those who cannot do, critique. And those who cannot critique, teach gym.” (to paraphrase Annie Hall). Ben and Anna are just fine. I, on the other hand, just lost another 2 hours from the ledger of life, and even The Accountant can’t get that back, despite his gunplay and excellent aim.

”The Accountant” opens everywhere on October 14th. Featuring Ben Affleck Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow. Written by Bill Dubuque. Directed by Gavin O’Connor. Rated “R”

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Writer, Editorial Coordinator
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2016 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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