Movie Review: THE 15:17 to Paris

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  Before I begin to review THE 15:17 TO PARIS, based on actual events and the book written by its three heroes -Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone (co-written with Jeffery E. Stern), I have to thank the four men responsible for risking their lives and stopping a potential tragedy from happening. Again, their names are Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone and the fourth man, Mark Magoolian. Thank you, Gentleman, for your bravery and sacrifice to save the many onboard that train.
   THE 15:17 TO PARIS is directed by legendary movie star and film director, Clint Eastwood, whose previous films (AMERICAN SNIPER and SULLY) were also true life stories about modern-day American Heroes.
    PARIS is a travesty in film-making. Featuring the three young men who became heroes that day on a train that was traveling form Amsterdam to Paris, it was a mistake casting them in the roles as themselves. Heorism aside, is horrible to the point that it takes you out of the film. The screenplay is problem #2. Written by Dorothy Blyskal, the screenplay does a pitiful job buildng empathy for the three men. Instead of getting a real understanding of who these young men are, we get a generic backstory that us through their childhood years and their post graduate years leading to the infamous train trip to Paris. The result is nothing short of mind numbing. The screenplay aslo has lapeses in moral judement. 1) Stone hitting on a young lady in Europe gave me the creeps. 2) the three friends drunken night in Amsterdam and 3) the three, who were originally sittin in coach, sneek their way into first class. That's thivery in my book.
   Eastwood seems to be void of any of his legendary directing instincts here. It's like he's collecting a check and that's it. It boggles the mind how he would allow people with no acting skills to star in a movie. I blame the producers more than him. You would think all involved would display better film-making judgement. 
To recap, THE 15:17 to PARIS is a major mis-step for Clint Eastwood, trusting the real life jeores to act out their roles. The acting is so bad that it takes you out of the film. The screenplay is an inept bio pic that has no story to tell, with the exception of the train incident that takes up about 20 minutes of the film.
  I give THE 15:17 to PARIS a D+.


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