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21 Bridges Movie Review: A scene stealing act by Chadwick Boseman keeps this bridge from falling down
21 Bridges Review: Chadwick Boseman delivers a knockout performance as NYPD detective Andre Davis in 21 Bridges. However, his one-dimensional good cop character interspersed with a cliched cop drama, that has nothing new to offer, is a bridge you would rather shut down.
Movie Name: 21 Bridges
21 Bridges Director: Brian Kirk
21 Bridges Cast: Chadwick Boseman
21 Bridges Stars: 2.5/5
For Chadwick Boseman, fame came calling in spades when he was cast as Black Panther in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). However, the actor's capabilities are much more diverse, if you've been keeping up with the rest of his acting credits. When a film like 21 Bridges comes along, you cling to it and try to work your magic for a believable act. Alas, you are given a roadblock, when a stereotypical cop thriller features its main lead to be the typical one-dimensional good cop.
From the first few minutes of 21 Bridges, the ideology followed by the writers Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan is crystal clear. It's to make the audience acquainted enough with the POV's of not just the main protagonist, NYPD Detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman), but also the two criminals Mike (Stephan James) and Ray (Taylor Kitsch). Andre's mannerism of investigation is tied to his father, a former officer who was gunned down when his son was just 13. Known as the cop who kills cop killers, David is the man to be recruited to find Mike and Ray, who killed seven policemen in a drug robbery gone wrong. What's surprising though is that the robbery was shown through the mindset of Mike and Ray. Hence, we get an insight into the thought process of the "criminals" and that there's more to the story than was led on.
In order to catch the two targets, before they flee the city, Andre's plan of action is to shut down Manhattan, which includes the 21 bridges and catch the bad guys. However, at every point, there's a new twist to unravel. While Captain McKenna (J.K. Simmons) of the 85th District personally wants Andre to stick up to his name and just kill the bad guys without any legal proceedings, Davis is aided by Narcotics specialist Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller).
With all due credit, unlike other classic films from the cop thriller genres, equal weightage is given to both parties. We're shown different perspectives of the same coin and hence, we don't rush into quick judgment on any of the characters. However, as the story moves along, the unpredictability factor dies down with it. When you reach the end, it's not as satisfying as one would assume such investigative thrillers to be. No matter how catchy the title is!
Chadwick works wonders with, like I said, the one-dimensional good cop character and truly shines as Andre, whose motto is to find the truth and not shoot without a cause. In spite of the hurdles along the way, Boseman really knocks it out of the park and gives us an earnest performance, up untill the end credits. Even Sienna's attempt at the thick New York accent tends to be likable as the duo plays off of each other. Stephen is the true heart of this film as Mike, as he makes you sympathise with the young boy, who was suckered into a tough situation even though he wanted no part of it. On the other hand, we have Taylor's portrayal of Ray, who may seem like a master of tricks, but at the end of the day, it is just a human being caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time. We see the contradicting yet similar personalities in the way these two handle chaos. While Ray is the vigilant kill machine who'd shoot you three times just to make sure you're dead, Mike is the one who'd rather hit you in the head and leave you unconscious, than actually kill you.
For his big feature directorial debut, Brian Kirk has the heart in the right place while making 21 Bridges but unfortunately, the predictable attitude of the storyline diminishes his efforts. We're so used to the idea of New York's romanticism with organised crimes, that there really is nothing new for 21 Bridges to offer! We're given a tour of New York, from Meatpacking District to Brooklyn and various helicopter shots of the Big Apple landscape while the city is coloured in hues of amber, green and grey... from midnight to 5 am. All of this is to show the eeriness of the unexpected, but it doesn't really satisfy the palette.
ALSO READ: Black Panther's Chadwick Boseman reveals he never planned on being an actor; Here why
A plus point is the action sequences, which don't have the overtly choreographed feel to it and seem more natural, of what you would expect in real-life. Similarly, we also have the running and car chase scenes that don't seem superficial and were well thought of, keeping the streets of New York under careful consideration. But, then again, there's the age-old problem of convenient gun shooting sequences. When necessary, the bullet gets through and when not, the hero is completely intact with his hairstyle and suit on point, too!
In spite of the fact that 21 Bridges comes at a time, where cop killing and gun violence are a topic of major uproar in the US, the movie, unfortunately, falls into the cliched cop dramas, we have seen one too many times! If you're watching it for Chadwick, be my guest! Otherwise, this is a bridge we'd rather shut down.
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