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21 BRIDGES – Review – We Are Movie Geeks

Review

21 BRIDGES – Review

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Here’s a nice little break from the serious award-bait winter films and the heart-tugging holiday family flicks. I’m talking about a taut lil’ action thriller that harkens back to old movie palace double features. You see, when the major studios controlled the theatre chains, they’d roll out a big prestige flick with a big budget and their “over the title” stars, and for the second part of the evening program it would be paired with a smaller budget flick, often referred to as a “B” picture, and usually a detective mystery or a cop vs. criminals caper. The “B” would be a great way for up and coming directors, actors, and screenwriters to establish themselves. Now, this week’s new action romp stars an actor whose last couple of films were big box office smashes (in the billion-dollar range), but it really exudes the “B” picture spirit with a director plucked right out of some of TV’s hottest shows, and stunts a lot more “down to Earth” than the F&F style franchises. It’s a gritty and grim saga of cops and robbers all set on the big city that’s only accessible by 21 BRIDGES.

And that saga starts twenty years ago as twelve-year-old Andre Davis tries to hold back the tears at the memorial for his father, a member of New York’s finest gunned down in the line of duty. Flash forward to today as adult Andre (Chadwick Boseman), now himself a cop (investigating detective to be precise) is facing the review board of Internal Affairs after he’s returned fire on a suspect. Seems he has a “rep” for not hesitating to draw down if threatened (nearly 10 times in as many years). Once again, Andre is cleared for duty and returns home to help care for his ailing mother. Much later, just a bit after midnight, a “muscle” car pulls into the alley outside a closed Brooklyn pasta palace. Two men, both former military, Michael (Stephan James) and Ray (Taylor Kitsch), pull out their assault weapons and pull up their bandanas, revealing only their eyes. After tricking the place’s night manager into letting them in, the duo is stunned to find 300 kilos of cocaine in the big walk-in freezer (they’d been told that only 30 K was there next to the pre-made lasagnas). But when they try to leave with several stuffed “take-home” bags full of powder, Michael and Ray encounter four patrolmen at the front entrance. Gunfire is exchanged and after a violent battle, the thieves race into the night, leaving eight dead cops in their wake. Andre is brought in, and because of the large haul of drugs left behind, he’s paired with narcotics detective Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller). At the crime scene is Captain McKenna (J.K. Simmons) of the nearby 85th Precinct. He knows about Andre and states, loudly, his wish that the “perps” never make it to trial. Andre examines the debris and tells his superiors, including the deputy mayor, that the crooks can only move their “merch” on the island, therefore all roads into Manhatten, including all 21 bridges, trains, and flights, will be closed off until the killers are caught. The “DM” finally agrees, but for only five hours. The city has to be back in business by 6 AM. Andre gets to work as NYC is “flooded with blue”. He’s got to find the guys, but he’s got a feeling that there’s more to this than a drug heist gone really, really bad.

Boseman oozes big star charisma as the one cop you don’t want on your case. In his opening scenes, he shows us the heartbroken little boy still at the center of trigger- (“watch the pronunciation”) happy Andre, full of contempt for those who question his methods. But he changes over the course of the movie as he becomes more thoughtful. Boseman conveys his slow realization that he’s being used like a pitbull unleashed, and is stunned to find that he begins to have empathy for both the victims and accused. Miller joins him in a departure from her often glamorous roles, her hair pulled back as she pounds the Bronx accent with vigor (lotsa’ ‘dems and ‘dese’) as Frankie (not Frances or, forbid, Francine). The thugs on the run offer a strong contrast. Kitsch is quick to strike, “double-tapping” the wounded without any hesitation, perhaps eager to punish anyone in his way. James, as Michael, is also an expert marksman, but winces in battle, perhaps still stunned that the quick score turns into a grueling “firefight”. He soon learns that his bond with Ray has put him in a corner, and forces him to use his wits and speed to survive the night. Simmons, as usual, is quite effective as the grieving but vengeful mentor. And look for a terrific turn by Alexander Siddig as the most effete money-laundering expert ever, complete with Vincent Price-style evening robe.

Director Brian Kirk, fresh from helming episodes of lauded TV shows “Game of Thrones” and “Penny Dreadful”, confidently enters the contemporary cop thriller arena. His early scenes with the botched drug heist crackle with tension and energy. And he’s able to keep the pace taut throughout this long violent night. Thanks to the screenplay from Matthew Michael Carnahan and Adam Mervis (story too) just enough info is doled out so we, along with Andre, slowly learn that there’s much more to this manhunt than these two guys on the run. The story is given a real urgency thanks to the location work with Philly often doubling for NYC. And after a summer of blockbusters, it’s nice that whole city blocks aren’t leveled and cars really adhere to the laws of gravity. And despite the multiple endings, the whole thing clocks in at a lean and mean 100 minutes. 12 BRIDGES is an “A” flick that emulates the very best of the “B” spirit.


3 Out of 4

Jim Batts was a contestant on the movie edition of TV's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in 2009 and has been a member of the St. Louis Film Critics organization since 2013.