the real tragedy here is that Sean Penn has been a fine director, with some genuinely great movies under his belt. One hopes that Penn will return to form, but on the evidence of Flag Day this could be just another case of deluded wishful thinking
Flag Day is little more than a near-two-hour montage of tear-streaked faces melodramatically shouting at each other; Between its purple prose and impossibly shallow and repetitive action, Flag Day fails to create any resonance of theme or character
as a director, Sean Penn knows how to bring the horsepower. And so it proves in this very watchable and well-made family drama; There are some pretty broad emotional strokes here and maybe a fair bit of grandstanding. But it's made with some style
a piece of would-be American classicism, this is a hackneyed, unevenly written hybrid between a con-man antihero drama and an emotive, heart-bruised coming-of-age film
a moving but messy old-fashioned crime film; Flag Day contains a genuinely moving story about a father and his daughter, and the lies we tell ourselves to explain away laziness. But it's puffed up with so much else, it's doomed to do an incomplete job
"Flag Day" maintains its modest trajectory from start to finish, ending with a rather abrupt (albeit very true) twist; The movie has few tricks on offer but above all, delivers a solid reminder of Penn's filmmaking talent, and welcome evidence that it ru
"Flag Day" is not a complete misfire, and if a no-name director had made it, the movie would probably get a pass. But considering the emotional stakes involved it’s neither terribly memorable nor moving
"Flag Day" actually is a solid and worthwhile effort for Sean Penn both as actor and director. But first and foremost, it will be remembered as a dazzling showcase for the acting talents of his daughter, Dylan Penn