Ben Affleck plays an unusual forensic accountant who can take apart a company's books to find problems with the finances.
Unfortunately the script of "The Accountant" needed something similar. It starts well, but by about half way through I felt the books were being cooked.
Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) has high functioning autism, which in "The Accountant" is not a liability, but instead gives him almost superhuman powers.
In fact, as it unfolds and drifts more and more into implausibility, "The Accountant" feels like those films based on graphic novels. The action sequences are well-staged, but seem to go on for one karate blow and one burst of gunfire too many.
The most fascinating aspects of the story are actually the investigative elements. One strand is where Christian uses his accounting skills to find where embezzlement has taken place at Living Robotics, the company run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow). The other is the investigation by the Treasury Department led by Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) – reminiscent of Carl Hanratty from Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can".
But the story has another strand; a hit-man scenario seemingly inspired by the real life Richard Kuklinski (The Iceman).
The most appealing characters in the story are the two women; Dana Cummings played by Anna Kendrick who is attracted to Affleck's character, and Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) who is trapped by Raymond King into pursuing the treasury investigation.
I'm not sure if the film sheds a helpful light on autism, but there just seems to be too much story. Although the final revelations are complex and give some closure, they also seem a little too pat.
I can see why the film received mixed reviews from the critics; my feelings about it are mixed as well. Although "The Accountant" seemed cashed-up at the beginning, by the end I think we were definitely short-changed.
Unfortunately the script of "The Accountant" needed something similar. It starts well, but by about half way through I felt the books were being cooked.
Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) has high functioning autism, which in "The Accountant" is not a liability, but instead gives him almost superhuman powers.
In fact, as it unfolds and drifts more and more into implausibility, "The Accountant" feels like those films based on graphic novels. The action sequences are well-staged, but seem to go on for one karate blow and one burst of gunfire too many.
The most fascinating aspects of the story are actually the investigative elements. One strand is where Christian uses his accounting skills to find where embezzlement has taken place at Living Robotics, the company run by Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow). The other is the investigation by the Treasury Department led by Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) – reminiscent of Carl Hanratty from Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can".
But the story has another strand; a hit-man scenario seemingly inspired by the real life Richard Kuklinski (The Iceman).
The most appealing characters in the story are the two women; Dana Cummings played by Anna Kendrick who is attracted to Affleck's character, and Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) who is trapped by Raymond King into pursuing the treasury investigation.
I'm not sure if the film sheds a helpful light on autism, but there just seems to be too much story. Although the final revelations are complex and give some closure, they also seem a little too pat.
I can see why the film received mixed reviews from the critics; my feelings about it are mixed as well. Although "The Accountant" seemed cashed-up at the beginning, by the end I think we were definitely short-changed.