David Gordon Green & Jake Gyllenhaal Attempt To Get ‘Stronger’ [TIFF Review]

Filmmaker David Gordon Green’s thoughtful impressionistic images and precocious talents were abundantly clear with his striking and lyrical feature debut, “George Washington.” Just 24 years old at the time when the contemplative, shoestring-budgeted indie was made, Green earned tremendous accolades including plaudits from Roger Ebert, and a co-signing from the prestigious Criterion Collection. After just one film, the word “auteur” was already being thrown around.

Not long thereafter, Terrence Malick, to whom the young filmmaker was often compared to, was producing his idiosyncratic third feature (“Undertow”). Simultaneously, Steven Soderbergh had handpicked Green to direct an adaptation of “A Confederacy Of Dunces,” a project the ‘Ocean’s’ helmer had been developing for years. The filmmaking community had clearly embraced and recognized his talent.

Cut to about 15 years later and Green has cultivated an eclectic career, leaning in on comedy much more than anyone might have originally expected (“Pineapple Express,” “Vice Principals” and more). But more importantly, in service of story—or at least that’s what critics like myself tell ourselves—Green’s films in recent years, as he inches closer to mainstream narratives, have become increasingly anonymous.

Which takes us to “Stronger,” his latest film, a serviceable, but unremarkable drama about the resilience of the human spirit that is his most unidentifiable work to date. While the drama—about a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing—features respectable performances by its two leads Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany, for Green, its facelessness feels like more of a work-for-hire effort.

This is by design, of course. Green is no fool and understands stories should dictate aesthetics and not the other way around. Clearly, the choice here is simplicity, but classicism can often fail a narrative lacks spark. What does that have to do with the real Jeff Bauman’s story? An ordinary young man who tragically lost his legs while standing in crowd cheering on his ex-girlfriend in the middle of the aforementioned marathon in the hopes of winning her back? Well, kind of everything, in that his story, as presented here, is simply too familiar and standard issue to have much of a real affecting impact.

Gyllenhaal stars as Bauman, a young, rather unexceptional and feckless 27-year-old who can’t convince Erin Hurley, his dissatisfied girlfriend (Maslany) to stick around. He’s not remotely a bad guy, just thoughtless enough to be poster boy for why women date older men.

Erin calls it quits and in a dopey, but charming display of affection to win her back, Jeff roots for her while standing on the sidelines of the now-infamous race. When the tragedy strikes, In the aftermath, Jeff awakens to find his broken and bloody legs had to be amputated. So begins the story of a man who has to learn to literally get back on his feet again. The road to recovery, as the cliché adopted by this movie goes, is long and hard.

Crafting blue-collar authenticity in the milieu of working class Boston, “Stronger” feels genuine and certainly has the right intentions, but never converts to something truly enlivening.

Part of what works for and yet ultimately against “Stronger” is its protagonist. The drama is ostensibly about an everyday man overcoming extraordinary circumstances—a basic, completely worthy tenet of drama. Yet Jeff is wholly ordinary to an almost detrimental level. There’s no heroism to root for, no inspirational person to get behind, this is an unfortunate wrong place at the wrong time tale. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet, perhaps uncharitably, no one would ever make a movie about Jeff Bauman (at least the Jeff Bauman depicted in this movie) were it not for the fact that his legs were blown to bits—the most remarkable quality of the person played by Gyllenhaal.

And this is because the meat of what makes Bauman so special—summoning the courage to not give up, to endure and find hope in the darkest of places—never rouses like it should. As scripted by John Pollono adapting Bauman’s real-life memoir, “Stronger” isn’t just about overcoming awful circumstances, it’s about Bauman overcoming himself and his tendencies for self-pity, anger and resentment in the consequence of his attack. And when he becomes a symbol of hope to Boston, producing the catchphrase, “Boston Strong,” the emblem he becomes is an accidental one.

The most complex and convincing element of “Stronger” is its consideration of what it means to be a hero. Further absorbing is Jeff’s struggle to reconcile the nation’s admiration for his resolve with his frustrations, guilt and his acute understanding that surviving a bombing isn’t what heroism is made of. There’s some thoughtful scenes here, especially one involving Spanish actor Carlos Sanz, but it’s not enough to champion. As for Maslany, in case you’re curious, the talented “Orphan Black,” star isn’t afforded much of a role other than playing a nurse to her anguished boyfriend trying to cope with his new circumstance.

Green’s career has always been marked by his wildly curious and investigative drive and it’s incredibly hard to fault a filmmaker who’s hoped to expand his horizons and toolkit. The reality is when the director makes a very David Gordon Green film (see the marvelous “Prince Avalanche”), it’s bursting at the seams with humanistic vibrancy. With “Stronger,” the director feels as if he’s more interested in trying on his Alan J. Pakula hat—the filmmaker behind many unflashy, but incredible durable 1970s classics—than deeply moved by the narrative.

David Gordon Green’s proven his versatility and his latest film continues to demonstrate his ability to construct reliable movies that should please producers and audiences alike. But for those that remember the eccentric, shaggy-haired and quixotic days of stimulating filmmaking, it’s hard to muster much enthusiasm for “Stronger.”  [C+]

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