The 15:17 to Paris - Review

The 15:17 to Paris

From legendary Actor – Oscar winning Director Clint Eastwood comes “The 15:17 to Paris,” which tells the real-life story of three a typical men from Sacramento, California whose lives changed in an instant second from obscurity to internationally known famed heroes by their brave acts during a high-speed railway ride in Europe.

In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on the German Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris. The three courageous young Americans on board that day who were also lifelong friends from their adolescent days when they met in a private Christian schools were traveling through Europe on holiday when a terrorist attack occurred. The film follows the course of the friends’ lives from the early days of their struggles of childhood to finding somewhat their footing in life in the military and college, to the unlikely events that coincidentally lead up to the attack.

Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board that day. The story tells the heroic trio story of best friend Anthony Sadler, best friend Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and best friend U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone (who was severely wounded but survived) who are all playing themselves in the film.

REVIEW: First I went to see this film mostly for the reputation of Clint Eastwood to deliver some of the finest films over the past 25+ years (Changeling, Mystic River, Unforgiven, Letters from Iwo Jima, American Sniper, Sully, Million Dollar Baby, The Bridges of Madison County, Invictus, High Plains Drifter, Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, Gran Torino, The Gauntlet and A Perfect World). I also saw this film because I thought the story of these three men saving lives was potentially a compelling story.

So, what was my take?  Well, “The 15:17 to Paris”….Ah, hold on while I take a sip of my Tanqueray gin, tonic and lime………………………..aaaaaaaaaaaaah nothing like a tasty beverage. OK where was I………….Oh yeah…………..Hold on, hold on, just one more sip of my Tanqueray gin, tonic and lime………………..aaaaaaaaaaah, man that is a smooth Saturday afternoon drink. I needed that.

OK,  where was I again? Oh yeah “The 15:17 to Paris”...........it's not good. It is also not the worst film I have ever seen. The problem with the film besides the three real life characters playing themselves who can’t really act, is the film is less a cinematic dramatic movie about their lives that lead up to life changing events and more of 1:34 minute film with a production budget of $30 million dollar of an ordinary home video of three goof offs who did a great thing.

For 1 hour and 15 minutes we watch these three men get in trouble in school, drink beer, and eat pizza. Then they get older, get in minor trouble, drink beer, eat pizza and talk about girls. Then we watch them a bit older taking somewhat charge of their lives by two of three young men choosing the military as careers and the other enrolling into college and then again we watch them (only in Europe now) drink beer, eat pizza, eat gelato, talk and date girls, ride tourist boats, take lots of selfies and have hangovers. It’s only in the last 15 minutes does the film resemble anything being a dramatic story worth seeing in the theater.

Look, I applaud the brave act these three young American men and one other man from Germany did on that day. Trust me when the terrorist struck on the train those three men at great peril to their lives gave him a “Grade A South Central Los Angeles good old fashion American ass kicking”. This scene was truly dramatic and remarkable to say the least. But my criticism and my role (such as it is) is to review not their lives but review the film and while it is not unwatchable it is simply not very good at all.

Their three back stories are not compelling enough overall story to make it a feature film. It’s a mile wide and one inch worth of material that Director Eastwood was working with here and man oh man did he stretch the hell of this film for 75 minutes with some dialogue and screenplay so poorly written it felt like it was done less on Microsoft Word and more on Mattel’s Etch a Sketch. And while the three young men tried their best given their lack of professional training in acting, they worked hard trying to get the audience to like them (and generally you do) but in the long hall all you really remember is their acting or lack thereof.

“The 15:17 to Paris” with obvious limitations wants to be a story of real-life heroism under lethal and deadly circumstance. It also wants to be a transformative film about what makes American’s notably proud, gutsy and brave. But in the end, all it is, is a home video of 15 minutes of some extraordinary heroism that should be recognized and acknowledged by all but not nearly enough for you to drop $20+ dollars just to see it in the theater.

Watch the film's trailer 3 or 4 times, it delivers a better story.

1.75 Stars