Michael Bay is somebody special in the world of cinema. A director who pretty much consistently rakes in less than complimentary, and sometimes downright hate fueled, reviews from major critics, but somehow continues to find the "it" factor in America's current cultural mindset and as a result his films usually rake in the dough by the millions. Now known primarily as the guy who brought the 80s icon Transformers to the screen in 2007 and has shepherded the series through four films now, Michael Bay is seen as one of the primary purveyors, if not THE primary purveyor, of big dumb fun explosion-fests that critics love to hate, but audiences seem to lap up with glee. See here's the thing, Bay has never pretended to be anyone other than himself. When he makes a movie he doesn't make apologies for his own outlook and style of filmmaking. His movies all have his own unique style and cadence to them, be they small or large. Highly saturated, even overblown, colors, shaky camerawork in the fights, a high edit count, and lots of camera pans and dollies. Now, I by no means like all of his films. Bad Boys II, for example, is needlessly mean spirited and makes its central characters borderline, or beyond, deplorable, but for the most part Bay satisfies the desire for slick and gorgeous escapist fare. When he has tried to deviate, even a little, from his norm before (Pearl Harbor and Pain & Gain) it was still met with extremely negative to just mixed results. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is no different. Bay has said that sometimes he has to take a break from giant robots and huge epic action to make a "smaller" movie in order to "recharge his creative juices". That is why he made Pain & Gain in between Transformers 2 and 3. And now after the enormous giant of a movie Transformers Age of Extinction, 13 Hours is indeed a comparatively "smaller" film in that is not mega budgeted and it seeks to tell a more intimate and harrowing story of courage and survival against overwhelming odds using the true story of the attack on the American Diplomatic Outpost and the nearby secret CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya on November 11th through the 12th of 2012 as a basis. Does Bay's gambit succeed? Well, let's dig in and find out shall we?
The attacks in Libya in 2012 were headline news. No air support was offered, and four Americans tragically lost their lives when Islamic militants stormed the Outpost and Annex. The U.S. Ambassador, Chris Stevens, was one of the first to die. He was a friend of former First Lady, who became Secretary of State, and current Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton's part in the whole ordeal is not even brought up in the film because Bay wisely chooses to keep political leanings out of the equation as much as possible in order to just focus in on six men, all ex-military CIA Contractors, who gave their energy and blood to defend their fellow Americans during a brutal onslaught that lasted for the titular 13 hours before rescue finally came. The six men on the roster are Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods (played by James Badge Dale), Jack Da Silva (played by John Krasinski), Mark "Oz" Geist (played by Max Martini), John "Tig" Tiegen (played by Dominic Fumusa), Kris "Tanto" Paronto (played by Pablo Schreiber), and Dave "Boon" Benton (played by David Denman), all of whom made up the Security Team for the Annex. Woods and Silva were both former SEALS. Of these six men it is Woods and Silva who get most of the time on screen, but "Oz" Geist gets a good chunk too, as does "Tanto" Paronto later on in the proceedings once the attacks begin. Other major players included Glen "Bub" Doherty (played by Toby Stephens) and a man this film simply calls "The Chief" (played by David Constabile). My guess is that "The Chief" is not named because he was a CIA operative and therefore his identity is being kept confidential and that is understandable. There is also a CIA operative named Sona Jillani, played by Alexia Barlier, who gains some nice screen time in the latter half as she comes to recognize the great sacrifices being made by the six men to save her life as well as everyone else's. A later scene she shares with Max Martini's "Oz" is a sweet moment of empathy amidst the chaos. While Ambassador Chris Stevens and his aid Sean Smith are portrayed briefly, they are largely cameos and Bay does keep the attention focused on the Security Team.
And for that team the right group of actors was assembled. This film is not a deep character study, but it does provide just enough background on the men, particularly Woods and Silva, to make them relatable and worthy of our rooting interest. As Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods, or simply Rone as they all call him, James Badge Dale is perfectly cast and delivers on the man's no nonsense mentality and drive to protect the lives of his fellow Americans at any and all costs. As Jack Da Silva, a close personal friend of Rone, John Krasinski is exceptional. Silva's remorse over once again leaving his wife and two young daughters at home to come into a hostile environment that could very easily be the end of him is beautifully portrayed a Krasinski makes it all count. Max Martini is a tough firebrand as Mark "Oz" Geist, or simply Oz, and he also gets the chance to show beneath his toughened exterior the heart of a man who cares deeply about what he does. I mentioned above a later scene he shares with Alexia Barlier's Sona and it is a beautiful moment and the stakes are given even more definition in it. Dominic Fumusa, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman, Toby Stephens, and David Constabile are all more than solid and deliver what they are called on to deliver, making sure that their characters' plight remains intensely borrowing for the audience watching the events unfold. 13 Hours is, once again, not a deep exploration of the human condition of its players, but a full steam ahead brutal and suspenseful portrayal of courage and valor in the bleakest of hours. And for that purpose the performances in this movie are more than sufficient.
The film's visual look is pure Michael Bay, but also more refined and polished than when he first began. The shakiness of the camera in the action is still there, but it is not terrible, and in fact is very well implemented and serves to bring a raw and gritty sense of reality to the proceedings in keeping with the truth of the story being told. Dion Beebe's cinematography, in his first collaboration with Michael Bay, is fine indeed for the film and Bay's signature visual style is channeled into the appropriate places. The production design by Jeffrey Beecroft is perfectly done and captures the essence of the real location, even though it was filmed in Malta. The music by Lorne Balfe is fine for the film as well, delivering a driving percussive cadence appropriate for the story. Deborah L. Scott's costumes are perfectly realistic and appropriately do not draw attention to themselves. 13 Hours is a fine example of filmmaking meant to serve a purpose other than just pure entertainment. All of the elements are in fine form, but none of them call any undue attention to themselves while the story is playing out. This is how it should be for a film like this.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is currently sitting at a "rotten" 59% on Rotten Tomatoes tally of critics' reviews. Now this is much higher than much of Bay's work usually receives, but still indicative of just how unpopular Bay is with the critics on a regular basis. And 13 Hours is not a likely candidate to be a blockbuster box office giant either, especially not with Star Wars currently dominating everything around it, but with a more modest $50 million budget the film should do alright. Of course releasing it in January doesn't help matters much because of the month's reputation as a trash dump for Hollywood's most unwanted films the studios have no faith in, but really it is Star Wars' continued hold over the box office that is going to be the biggest obstacle for 13 Hours, not to mention any other film released this month. As it stands, 13 Hours is a good film made well and with a truly harrowing true story at its core. The film honors the men and respects the gravity of the attacks it depicts. It is a little on the long side at 2 and a half hours, but it is consistently engaging for the most part and the length feels just right. By avoiding politics as much as is possible, and that is for a very good chunk of the film, Bay has done the best thing any director could have with such a hot button issue. He is not out to make a statement, but to tell a story. And he and his cast and crew tell it well. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi rises way above the cold January doldrums it has been released into. Not a film to be watched on a repeat basis, but one well worth watching and one day owning as a film that can sit beside classics of the genre like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down as a worthy watch around Memorial or Veteran's Day every year.
4.5/5
Eric Spearman - 1/16/2016
P.S. Wow. Only my second theatrical review since starting this Blog at the end of December. Well, stay tuned, because tomorrow I might have a new theatrical review on here for The Revenant. Until then, have a great weekend everybody.
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