Accountant, The (1/10/2017)

Rated R for strong violence and language throughout.

Starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick , Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor

Directed by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle, Warrior)

TODD’S WORD: This just might be the worst film I watched this year.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Are you sure we saw the same movie?

TODD’S WORD: Well, if you’re talking about Ben Affleck playing the math savant with more affinity for numbers than people… then yes. Apparently behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons), starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.

JONATHAN’S WORD: That’s the one. Sounded pretty good even as you described it. And I’m not even a Ben Affleck fan. Truth be told, I came into the theatre with a negative attitude because I really don’t like Affleck off screen. But I told myself, “Jonathan, this guy was in Good Will Hunting. Don’t hate!”

TODD’S WORD: And?

JONATHAN’S WORD: And I thought it was really entertaining.

TODD’S WORD: Seriously? The plot was completely preposterous. Don’t believe me? Christian Wolf is a math wiz, on the autism spectrum who is an accountant by day and a paid assassin by night. Ugh!

JONATHAN’S WORD: I thought they pulled it off. I don’t want to give spoilers, but I thought they presented the case for it well. Plus, it now gives hope for parents of kids with autism that their kids could be assassins someday. (That was sarcasm.)

TODD’S WORD: Who would even want to take on that role? Oh yeah, Ben Affleck would. Double Ugh! There were times when I felt like he tried too hard and other times he didn’t try at all.

JONATHAN’S WORD: I hate to admit this… but I thought he was great. I thought he was very convincing.

TODD’S WORD: Wow. And the rest of the cast are all talented actors, but not even Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow or Jeffrey Tambor could help.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Sorry, we’re completely in disagreement here. I think Kendrick, Simmons, and Lithgow were great. (And can I insert that I think Lithgow will probably grab an award for his work on The Crown this year! He’s really amazing!)

TODD’S WORD: It’s hard to understand how this movie is so bad… Bill Dubuque wrote the script, also wrote The Judge. And director Gavin O’Connor who also directed Miracle and Warrior should have been able to save this. Instead we get a great actor and a great director in a very bad movie.

To me, The Accountant is silly, senseless and not worth your time…it’s a “Coaster.”

JONATHAN’S WORD: There is another alternative… and that is that The Accountant is actually good and you just woke up on the wrong side of your bed that morning!

The film was great. Ignore Todd’s rant. It’s totally worth the “Rental.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex or nudity, but the film contains several scenes of violence where Christian kills people at close-range by shooting them in the head.

There are several F-words and other profanities.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. What condition does Christian suffer from?


2. How has Christian overcome his condition?


3. Christian had to work very hard to overcome his condition. This took extreme discipline. How much discipline is too much?

Read 1 Corinthians 9:27

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.


4. How can discipline help us?