Based on the true story of Jeff Bauman, who was greatly affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing, I was concerned that this movie was going to focus too much on that tragic day. Thankfully Director David Gordon Green focused much more on what happened to Bauman and those around him after the bombing. What we got here is a very humanistic look at how people are greatly affected by that horrible attack, for better or for worse, while toning down the jingoistic aspects of it all.
I loved the intimate direction that this movie has. There's a lot of close up perspectives that brings us closer to the emotions of the characters. Many scenes of seemingly innocuous events like bandages being taken off, or somebody needing to use the bathroom, are allowed to linger and breath, which gives us a taste on what they are going through. A lot of scenes revolve around reactions by the characters, or conversational pieces that fleshes out the themes of the story.
Kudos to Jake Gyllenhaal on bringing Jeff Bauman to life on screen. There's a certain complexity of conveying the fact that while there's an outer facade that Jeff is displaying to the people who look at him, there's a different emotion that he is having underneath all that. It's hard not to sympathize with his situation, and Gyllenhaal is great in making us feel that way. Juggling between being dramatic and light-hearted in certain scenes, is also something Jake Gyllenhaal was able to effortlessly pull off.
The secret weapon of what makes this movie worth checking out though is Tatiana Maslany as Erin Hurley, who is the woman Jeff is in love with. Similar to Gyllenhaal's take on Bauman, Maslany has many different layers of emotions that she has to display on screen. In many ways, her character is even more complex, and arguably needs more sympathy than Jeff. Tatiana Maslany is phenomenal in being able to translate how the bombing has also greatly altered her life. The relationship between Jake and Erin is the cornerstone of what makes this story truly work, and this movie does a great job at it.
As a drama with several important thematic messages, "Stronger" is rightfully a life-affirming story about tragedy, perception, survival, and hope. Powerful movie that felt very personal. Definitely worth watching.
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