A buddy movie that a lot of humor and pathose and something to say about military adventurism

The Amazon-produced, Richard Linklater-directed Last Flag Flying is another under-the-radar strong movie, this one about 3 Marine corps buddies (played by Steven Carell, Brian Cranston, Laurence Fishburne) who served together in Vietnam re-uniting 30+ years later (2003) to help arrange funeral services for Carell's (Doc's) son, who died in a shooting in Afghanistan. In some ways it's a very familiar "buddy" movie, in which the tensions that make the journey initially extremely uncomfortable (Fishburne is now a devout minister, and over the course of the journey his personality changes as the 3 men recollect their wartime adventures and misadventure). That said, their journey is by turns hilarious and deadly serious, with some poignant commentary and observations about American military adventurism. The scene of the 3 men telling tales while in an Amtrak baggage car, seated next to the Doc's son's coffin, is a highlight - so funny that it's obvious that Carell is truly cracking up, not acting. Cranston gives the film most of its energy - his Salvatore is a highly wound, extrovert and an antagonist to everyone in authority - but Carell, once again showing the range of his acting abilities, is the quiet center that holds it all together. Yes, the film lags a little toward the end, with a long and pointless episode in which the 3 men acquire their first cell phones and a needlessly saccharine funeral service (spoiler: I found it ridiculous that Cranston and Fishburne had the Marine dress blues and wore them at the service), but by and large it's an entertaining and humane movie that prods us to think a little about authority and duplicity.