Palisadian Ben Affleck is starring in a new jungle-heist-action flick “Triple Frontier,” which premiered March 13 on Netflix.
The plot follows five former Special Forces operatives as they reunite to plan a heist in a lush border zone of South America, this time not in their country’s best interests, but their own.
Affleck plays the movie’s lead, Tom “Redfly” Davis, and is accompanied by a stellar cast, including Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”), Adria Arjona (“Pacific Rim: Uprising”), Pedro Pascal (“Narcos”), Oscar Isaac (“Life Itself”), Garrett Hedlund (“Pan”), Reynaldo Gallegos (“Logan”) and Sheila Vand (“A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”).
When Pope (Isaac) receives a tip from an informer (Vand) about a cartel leader hiding out in the jungle with $75 million in cash, he reunites the old crew for a “one-last-job” style story that offers a big rush from start to finish.
Trailers for “Triple Frontier” were typical action fare: helicopters, guns, explosions and loud noises. These it has, but it has also surprised viewers, who have praised it as an atypically smart, compelling movie with characters that are more than grizzled faces spouting one-liners.
Written by Mark Boal (“The Hurt Locker”) and J.C. Chandor (“A Most Violent Year”), and filmed on location in Colombia, “Triple Frontier” is a visual and dialogical treat with well-paced, realistic action sequences and some thoughtful, nuanced conversations between characters that share a real chemistry and have real motivations (despite their eye-rolling, one-off backstories).
“Triple Frontier” succeeds most in its quieter, action-less moments. Without spoiling anything, the story is really about greed and human beings—what it does to them and what it causes them to do to others.
Affleck is particularly good in his role as Tom, who changes subtlety and believably as the poison of greed takes hold and his friendships, values and sense of self are tested.
Affleck is, once again, where his fans have wanted to see him most: in front of the camera.
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