The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

★★★½

The arrival of The 15:17 to Paris couldn’t be any timelier. Pessimism flows out of Hollywood like a river of spoiled molasses. It’s gotten so thick that seeing a trailer featuring any number of arrogant stars induces a gag reflex. I will not discuss the larger issue of celebrity discontent in this space; that can be better discussed elsewhere. I will discuss how Clint Eastwood’s latest movie eschews casting conventions to deliver a product without the dead weight of superstardom dragging it down like an anchor. There is rage everywhere in the 24-hour news cycle, most of it delivered from C.N.N., M.S.N.B.C. and soapboxes being crushed by the pompous grandstanding of the likes of Madonna and Mark Ruffalo. Now comes Eastwood, to remind us that we don’t need to listen to them. There are better people out there with worthier things to say.

Three Americans, three Frenchmen and one Briton foiled a terrorist attack on the Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris in 2015. The governments of all three countries praised their heroism. The lone gunman had a large amount of ammo and a disaster was only moments away until these brave men intervened. While the incident itself was over fairly quickly and didn’t last long enough to sustain a feature-length movie, it nevertheless takes on a level of suspense that would not be present if not for the fascinating backstory of the three Americans. Eastwood dedicates most of the story to the three childhood friends growing up in Sacramento, California and the events that shaped them into the kind of men who would later selflessly risk their lives to save others.

In their younger years, Spencer, Anthony and Alek spent as much times in the principal’s office as in the classroom. Their teachers grow impatient with them. Their parents, single mothers who are doing their best to raise their sons, scoff at notions of A.D.D. while employing tough love to set their sons straight. When they grow up, Spencer and Alek join the military. Spencer dreams of joining the Air Force to become a pararescueman, but issues with his depth perception force him to settle for other career tracks. Meanwhile, Alek joins the National Guard. Anthony does not seek a military career. A few years later, the three friends embark on a trip across Europe, a trip that eventually leads to the Thalys train.

Onboard the train, Spencer fights the terrorist, and in doing so saves many lives. He joined the military to do just that. Early on, however, he believes he may not get the opportunity, with his eyesight being an issue. He becomes upset. He tells his mother Joyce (Judy Greer) that he couldn’t get this one thing right. Eastwood wants us to remember this, so that we can recall that conversation when we watch him on the train. This moment is just as important as jumping from a plane to rescue someone. He achieved his goal. At one point earlier, Spencer asks if life is pushing us to a greater purpose. This sounds like the kind of dialogue a screenwriter might dream up. I don’t know if Spencer actually said this, but coming from him, we believe it. Why? Because Eastwood develops these characters by incorporating the values and lessons they received while growing up and in military training. Their practical knowledge is just as important as their Christian beliefs. We know how they view their place in the world and what motivates them to take action when faced with a crisis.

The 15:17 to Paris stars the real-life friends, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos. In playing themselves, the three newcomers display tremendous chemistry and, surprisingly, the acting chops to bring credibility not only to the incident onboard the train, but also everything leading up to it. The later years in high school, the training upon enlisting in the military, the touring through Europe—these guys have done the real thing, and now, being told to do it again and act, they pull it off as if they’ve been acting for years. They interact well with the veteran actors (Greer, Jenna Fischer). Their scenes could have easily become needless filler, serving no purpose other than to expand the running time of a story beyond the length of the incident itself. That’s what happened to Eastwood’s previous film Sully, about the U.S. Airways airplane that landed in the Hudson River. In telling that story, Eastwood did not adequately surround the crash landing with exposition interesting enough to justify putting it on the big screen. Perhaps he saw the problems there and made an effort to avoid them here. Thankfully, he accomplished it. Combined with an engrossing backstory and free from loudmouth stars (like an Ashley Judd or a Jennifer Lawrence) who have made going to the movies intolerable, The 15:17 to Paris offers us something worth seeing.

© 2018 Silver Screen Reviews