'Last Flag Flying' A Review

Last Flag Flying is a military drama set in 2003 about three veterans from the same Vietnam War Marine unit who reunite to accompany one of their number Doc(Steve Carrell) to his Marine son's funeral after he is killed in Iraq. Sal(Bryan Cranston) is an alcoholic bar owner perpetually railing against the military and reliving his time in it. Richard Mueller( Laurence Fishburne) is a reformed preacher reluctant to get involved with his old war buddies. The three initially go to an air force base to view the body then take it to be buried in Doc's hometown when they find the circumstances surrounding his sons death aren't what the government has told them.

Carrell is engaging as he always is, the guy has incredible range and astonishing commitment but has been on a streak of good performances in mediocre films recently, this being no exception. Cranston is decent but a bit over the top and knowing of the connection to Nichelson's The Last Detail you can't help but see Cranston letting Jack influence him. Fishburne is solid, the most reasonable and expressive of the three but nothing any of them can do can really save the film from its inherent lack of clarity.

It is neither comedy nor drama, it neither honors the military nor satirizes it, it tries to make the characters both human and humorous caricatures. In trying to do everything it succeeds at mostly nothing. Moments of broad comedy come seconds after moments of deep emotion and it simply doesn't work. The film has no balance, no focus, seems to be unsure in almost every scene what tone or theme is driving the narrative. Writer/director Richard Linklater was either too laid back with his approach or didn't bring the necessary attention to a story with such emotional complexity.

Not a failure but tonally all over the map.

Rent It.