Gizmo Story
  • Movies
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • TV Shows
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • Gaming
    • News
    • Lists
  • Anime
    • News
    • Lists
  • Celebrity
    • News
No Result
View All Result
Gizmo Story
  • Movies
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • TV Shows
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • Gaming
    • News
    • Lists
  • Anime
    • News
    • Lists
  • Celebrity
    • News
No Result
View All Result
Gizmo Story
No Result
View All Result

Home > Movies > Reviews > Flag Day Review: Stream it or Skip it?

Flag Day Review: Stream it or Skip it?

Sean Penn stars as a director and actor in 2021's Flag Day. Here are honest reviews about Flag Day.

by Lokesh Bhardwaj
Saturday, 21 August 2021, 12:18 IST
Flag Day Review: Stream it or Skip it?

Sean Penn stars as a director and actor in 2021’s Flag Day. Co-starring alongside him is Dylan Penn. A screening of the film took place in the competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. United Artists Releasing is scheduled to release on August 20, 2021. The movie has received mixed reviews from critics.

What Happens in the Film?

Flag Day Cast

“Flag Day,” based on Jennifer Vogel’s biography, “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life,” begins with a subtle and lyrical scene. A series of new songs written and performed by Cat Power, Eddie Vedder, and Glen Hansard add grace and intimacy to Flag Day. These new songs take us back to Jennifer’s story as the film shifts from John’s celebrations to his introspection. Jenifer’s story focuses on “Flag Day,” with Dylan Penn letting her father play the flashy roles while keeping the film grounded in her quiet struggles to cope with her life and household.

Tonal shifts, along with the inherent difficulty of portraying a movie where emotions are so explosive, become more completely understandable: Jennifer is looking for peace, and John is driven by desperation, and the movie isn’t afraid to explore both. But, unfortunately, neither is ever always accomplished in “Flag Day” as it veers between melodramatic portraits and intimate character studies. (The director Penn cannot comprehend why his kids prefer Bob Seger; for example, the film relies at least as much on its energy as on Seger’s “Night Moves”).

Penn may occasionally go over the top, but his character John Vogel lives his life over the top: While he appears to be not as bright as a mastermind counterfeiter, hustle is so embedded in his being that he is incapable of speaking claptrap. He even admitted something to his daughter in seemingly confessional talks. Her father’s strange behavior leads to a flashback to an over-the-top blowout, and another leads to Jennifer unexpectedly catching her father on the phone talking to a Jaguar dealer on an unplugged phone.

Jenna’s voiceover narrates the blurred and flashed memories of the past. And in a way, Penn is describing his role in the film as irresistible bluster John Vogel, whose actions always reveal the blind panic that drives him.

Dylan Penn, Penn’s daughter, plays Jennifer in flashbacks when she is a child and then a young girl, while Jadyn Rylee and Addison Tymec play her as a teen. A police detective interviews Jennifer Vogel, a father of two, after being arrested for printing counterfeit currency worth $22 million. There are a few overly florid passages and some visual overstatement, but for the most part, Penn–as well as Joseph Vitarelli, who composed most of the score–is attempting to convey subtly.

Should You Watch it?

Flag Day Character

It finds a way to work despite being messy and not seamless. However, the film also develops a similar dichotomy as it proceeds: Penn’s restraint often can’t help but creep into melodrama when the material calls for it. Dylan Penn also makes a strong impression as a young woman trying to make sense of all the fiction her father has been telling her for so long that she feels compelled to be a columnist.

Early in the film, the screenplay begins to repeat itself as it involves constant turmoil, new beginnings, and rejection, followed by so much screamed rage that it becomes unrecognizable. There could have been quieter moments in the film, like the touching goodbye between Jennifer and Nick, in which Nick feels deserted but realizes that his sister has no other choice. The film would have been saved from mainstream clichés with a personal touch. Nevertheless, it is neither memorable nor particularly moving, given the stakes involved.

ShareTweetSendSend
Lokesh Bhardwaj

Lokesh Bhardwaj

The only word in the dictionary which can describe Lokesh well is "Curious". He is a man who sits in the corner of a café, sipping his coffee and watch others and write about them having a good time. Addicted to bettering himself each day. An impressive introvert who finds his home in the places he travels. It's either the power of universe or sunsets that sets his soul free. In between, He can be found wrapped in his own bubble, knitting stories even before the sun rises!

Related Topics

man
Reviews

The Man From Toronto: Review

7 months ago
Man Vs. Bee Reviews
Reviews

Man Vs. Bee Reviews

7 months ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TRENDING NOW

Pirates of The Caribbean 6
Features

Pirates of The Caribbean 6 Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer & More

by Arpita Chakraborty
5 days ago

POPULAR NOW

Pirates of The Caribbean 6

Pirates of The Caribbean 6 Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer & More

5 days ago
Disney On Ice – A Global Phenomenon

Disney On Ice – A Global Phenomenon

4 months ago
Image via Flickr by All-Pro Reels

3 Reasons To Go to An Event At State Farm Stadium

4 months ago
Gizmo Story Logo
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy
  • About Us
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Copyright
  • Editorial Policy
  • Ownership Policy
  • Terms

© Copyright 2023 Gizmo Story | All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Movies
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • TV Shows
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Lists
  • Gaming
    • News
    • Lists
  • Anime
    • News
    • Lists
  • Celebrity
    • News
About Us
Contact Us
Fact Checking Policy
Privacy Policy
Corrections Policy
Ethics Policy
Copyright
Cookies Policy
Editorial Policy
Ownership Policy
Terms of Use

Copyright © 2022 Gizmo Story Inc. All rights reserved.