Last Flag Flying — London Film Festival Review
Richard Linklater is an all-time favourite filmmaker of mine, who in my opinion has made the most consistently great body of work of this decade, so I was excessively pumped to see the international premiere of his latest, a sorta-but-not-really sequel to Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne as three ex-soldiers who served together in Vietnam reuniting for the first time in three decades when one of their sons is killed in the first year of the war in Iraq. Last Flag Flying is one of the directors’ more minor works, but that means very little — it’s a sombre, humanistic, and gentle-humoured look at friendship and responsibility.
Our three leads are brilliantly-cast, and even if there was nothing else to rate about the movie, it would be an amazing showcase for some of the greatest actors of our time. Fishburne brings his usual gravitas to hellraiser-turned-preacher Mueller, equal parts frustrated and amused during the journey. Carell gives one of his best dramatic performances to date as grieving father Doc, a subtle and quiet portrayal of a man who has lost his entire family in the past year. But it’s screen chameleon Cranston who truly stands out. His character, the mildly resentful Sal, has the most prominent character arc in the movie, and Cranston throws himself into every facet of the role, from his irritating attempts at entertaining the others to his anger towards the military — not to mention his endearing enthusiasm re: the internet and mobile phones, which he only learns about over the course of the movie.
The film is empathetic and thoughtful, with a script that has a full and deep understanding of the themes it presents. In many ways it functions as a tragic version of a typical road trip-type movie, but has a strong sense of its characters and doesn’t simply give them rote arcs. There’s also a great comedic undercurrent, particularly when it comes to Sal’s improper manners and lack of awareness, with some absurd situations (usually initiated by Sal) that provide necessary levity for both Doc and the audience. However, these scenes never overpower or get in the way of the tragedy, with Linklater and co-writer Darryl Ponicsan knowing when to back off and let the drama take centre stage.
During the post-film Q&A, Linklater mentioned (after some anecdotes about Cranston humping Carell) that a script for this movie was originally completed in 2005, but that he thinks it works better now there is more distance from the war in Iraq. I definitely agree, as it gives the comparisons made between Iraq and Vietnam (both unnecessary wars the US had no place partaking in) more weight now that both are in the past. This later release also helps the movie avoid negative controversy that it would have possibly had back then — it’s political and angry, with each of the three leads expressing their dissatisfaction with how America needlessly sends its young men off to die. There’s also some satire involving the military which is hilarious and subtly brutal (or as subtle as loud shouting gets, anyway).
There isn’t much to complain about with Last Flag Flying, but it doesn’t quite have the impact of modern masterpieces like Boyhood or Before Midnight, despite the superb performances and insightful writing. I can’t really pinpoint why, though — perhaps it’s too subdued, or too “easy”, or it’s just that I’ve gotten used to expecting more from him. That being said, it’s a fantastic character piece with depth and honestly, and I’m both expecting and hoping it racks up a great many nominations come awards season.
