13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Because I know I have readers of all kinds of political stripes, I am not going to comment on the political or factual accounts of this film, but rather only discuss the quality of the filmmaking itself. This is perhaps one of the best action thrillers I have ever seen. I never thought Michael Bay would be able to pull of both the sweeping broad strokes of the action as well as the simple intimacies of the relationships, but he did so beautifully. The acting was superb, the pace taut and compelling, and I never felt the film too long or drawn out. I admit I was so caught up in everything that I cried through the end - it was that good. A wonderful film. 4.5/5

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Pain & Gain

I almost didn't rent this, as I gave up on Mark Wahlberg a lot of years ago. However, I do love The Rock, so I took a chance and rented this. I was not sorry. This was a smart, stylish, well directed action thriller with really standout performances from all the leads, including Wahlberg. The Rock was, as usual, hilarious, and the script was tight and well written. I really enjoyed this, a I recommend it. 4/5

Pain & Gain on Netflix