Triple Frontier
by J. C. Chandor (2019)
Five former special forces members find themselves in financial trouble and plan a robbery on a notorious South American drug lord.
“After tonight, you won’t be able to return to your normal life. Keep that in mind. What we’re about to do is a crime. We won’t have the flag on our side, and no bullshit we say will change that.”
“If we do our job right, we’ll be committing murder and armed robbery.”
“You’re about to break most of the oaths you’ve taken.”
(Tom “Redfly” Davis)
The Triple Frontier.
At the intersection of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina lies an area known as the Triple Frontier: a free zone for illegality and crime.
A geographic location, then, where the film’s protagonists move to carry out their criminal mission.
But also a metaphor, raising ethical questions.
To what extent is it acceptable to betray principles and conventions considered untouchable and cross the boundary between what’s considered right and wrong?
We are dealing with disillusioned men, tired of their lives, who feel betrayed by their country and have seen, during their years in the special forces, the situation worsen.
War heroes abandoned to themselves, reduced to mere survival, filled with feelings like remorse, resentment, and greed.
And finally, there’s also a physical frontier.
A constant, continuous challenge against the elements (earth, air, water, and fire) that burst onto the scene threateningly, forcing the protagonists to fight constantly for their survival against a wild nature that imposes its laws.
Considerations.
Triple Frontier, initially directed by Kathryn Bigelow (who remains as producer), is handed over to Chandor, who also co-writes the screenplay with Mark Boal.
The result is a highly varied work that undoubtedly has the merit of exploring multiple film genres: transitioning from action to thriller, to a true survival struggle.
The opening sequence alone is enough to justify watching the film, where we are shown a military operation conducted by the special forces to capture the powerful cartel leader Lorea.
A scene shot with great skill, raw and violent as needed, where the tension rises until it explodes, and where you seem to breathe the air the protagonists are breathing.
A top-tier prologue that reminded me of the best Villeneuve, like in “Sicario”, to give you an idea.
But that’s not all, as previously mentioned.
As the film progresses, it evolves and changes shape, exploring different territories.
It doesn’t fold into the typical stereotypes that abound in heist movies.
We move from a small, dusty town to the thick rainforest, then lose ourselves in the vast, steep spaces of the Andes mountain range.
And finally, the sea, seen as the main and privileged escape route, concluding a criminal adventure “on the road.”
Two hours that fly by without allowing any drop in attention, also thanks to a remarkable cast featuring Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac.
Triple Frontier is a film that’s undoubtedly successful, though it’s forgiven for a screenplay that occasionally stumbles in dialogue, risking falling into some clichés.
Available on Netflix.
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