‘Last Flag Flying’ Has True Intention But Faulty Execution

Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying” taps into a niche—yet important—topic of concern for every American citizen, but the number of positive factors that propel this film forward are limited. Linklater addresses what would be cause for nationwide outcry—the lies the government feeds military families about the deaths of their loved ones—as well as salient and sensitive questions: Are some deaths more honorable than others? Is believing a lie better than knowing the truth? Are we responsible for telling disturbing truths? Linklater brilliantly addresses these dark questions while making a comedy of the film, yet one cannot help but wonder if the acclaimed director becomes too wrapped up in striking this balance and neglects a few film fundamentals.

The presence of three main characters—all of whom fought together in the Vietnam War— throughout the film is a strategic decision: one plays the clown, the second plays the mute, and the last the religious fanatic. Bryan Cranston is the heavyweight of the film. As Sal Nealon, Cranston brings the best performance—perhaps one of the best of the year of the entire cast to “Last Flag Flying.” Though Linklater gambles with a script that relies heavily upon Nealon as the sole source for all of its laughs, he must be given credit for casting one of the few actors in Hollywood who could bear this heavy burden masterfully. Cranston’s character brings levity to the darkest of circumstances, and also becomes an adamant advocate of justice when none are bold enough to object.

On the other hand, Steve Carell’s performance as Larry “Doc” Shepherd is disappointingly lackluster. While he has limited opportunity to emote, Carell still falls short in evoking the enormous amount of sympathy and compassion his character has the potential to conjure. Actors can work magic in muted roles by compensating through calculated body language, but Carell neither adopts this method nor any other mode of counterbalance. This is almost subversive to everything Linklater desires his movie to stand for. Luckily, Cranston’s performance saves the day.

Aside from the acting, the film fails in certain overarching, structural ways. At times, the plot doesn’t make sense—perhaps Linklater is simply attempting to do too much. Several patches of pointless dialogue prompt suspicion that the film is haphazardly trying to throw in some more societally relevant substance. And when questions of why the characters are in a certain location arise, so does the issue with the plot’s organization.

Even so, Linklater does well to evoke outrage with a whipping reminder that the American government can simultaneously have its people’s best and worst interests in mind. In its proudest triumph, “Last Flag Flying” builds its story upon issues that most spend their whole lives running from, and swaddles them not with deceit but with painful honesty. Due to the nature of the film, the messages it leaves behind are just as significant as the methods with which it communicates them: Maybe the exact cause of death isn’t essential knowledge, maybe some lies are better than truths, and maybe there is a responsibility to uphold certain lies. While this is a poignant meaning, the film could have strengthened its force by doing much less. The foundational elements essential to a transformative film are lost along the way.

—Staff writer Tiffany A. Rekem can be reached at tiffany.rekem@thecrimson.com.