Sadly lost in the Holiday film-release crush, "Last Flag Flying" is one of the best films of 2017

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2017)

"Last Flag Flying" was playing in exactly one screen in one theater in the entire Sacramento area during the 2017 Holiday film-release crunch (in Roseville, about 20 miles away), and I drove the distance because I've rarely been let down by director Richard Linklater, and a few of his films are among my favorites of all time. I wanted to support the film while it was in its initial release, even though I could've save the bucks and waited for streaming. Turns out this is one of his best, most absorbing films (so I'm especially glad I saw it in a theater) featuring superb acting down to the smallest role, and a fascinating script based on a book written by Linklater's co-screenwriter. I thoroughly enjoyed its exploration of everything from friendship over time, to coping with life's unpleasant and sometimes devastating surprises, to questions of faith, to making wise choices about when to let go and be irresponsible, to when telling a lie may be better than the truth, even to airing out feelings and opinions about wars and our government's reasons for them (I've seen few films quite this respectful of diverse feelings about all of these subjects). The film packs so much into a two-hour running time that you feel you've come to know the three main characters in particular, and I know I'm not alone in hoping there is a sequel that follows what happens to the three of them after this particular film ends. Linklater leaves me feeling this way a lot of the time with his films--wanting more--and I love it.