We linked to The Accountant trailer on Friday but after receiving a few messages and seeing a bit of chatter on Twitter, it warrants a bit more conversation.
First, I suppose we should watch it together:
I'm looking forward to seeing the movie this fall but, seriously, isn't Ben Affleck a little hunky for this role? I'm no casting director, but if the filmmakers were the slightest bit interested in authenticity, shouldn't they have gone with Michael Cera? Or Paul Dano? Or Bill Hader? I know someone who works at KPMG that looks like Hader so that would be my pick. In any case, I understand the need for a marketable star and Affleck fits that mold. Still, say, "No," once in awhile wouldja, Ben?
While you're thinking about who should've been cast as The Accountant, I'll share more commentary on what I observed in this trailer:
- That personalized desk name plate is pretty spot-on, although it says “Accountant” instead of "CPA" so maybe the AICPA didn't agree to Warner Brothers' offer for product placement. I also like that the name plate is bookended by a small basket of binder clips (I keep mine in a Mason Jar) and earnest, black and white business cards.
- That’s a serious rifle!
- Puzzles are a recurring theme in the movie, so guess that means my mom will like it?
- The humming of the windshield wipers is an effectively creepy backdrop to The Kid Accountant's Dad giving him the "stand up for yourself" speech.
- Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place" is a solid choice.
- They are really pushing the OCD thing. Look at that precise breakfast! That's 3 pieces of bacon, 3 eggs, 3 pancakes, all cooked to perfection. The markers and files on the table, the baskets on the cradenza behind him. I feel sorry for the script supervisor. And the blowing on fingers? Do accountants' fingertips really get that dirty? Later, there's a shot of a bottle of Zoloft so, we get it, accountants obsess over stuff.
- He prefers writing out spreadsheets rather than using Excel. That's hardcore.
- “He’s capable of coming in cold, uncooking years of books and getting out alive.” — Most crooked accountants cook books, so if he can uncook them, that's a helluva niche service area.
- Anna Kendrick asking, “Who are you?” while standing next to Woman with a Parasol and Small Child on a Sunlit Hillside by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is the appropriate question. Wouldn't the impressionism irritate our OCD protagonist?
- JK Simmons looks to be getting tortured, undoubtedly for getting the Farmers Insurance jingle stuck in people’s heads.
I'm sure I overlooked some things, so share your thoughts (and excitement or lack thereof) below.
Image: YouTube
