The Accountant 2 has arrived, but where's Anna Kendrick?

The Accountant 2 has been released, so, naturally, it's time to rewatch The Accountant.

As someone who is not typically a fan of action movies, The Accountant is one of the few action films that I truly love. Not because of its exceptional action sequences (though they are well-done), but because it's not just a good action film - it also has a compelling story. More importantly, it creates a comfortable sense of solitude that I believe is essential to spy films.

Let's review the plot of this 2016 film The Accountant: The silent and mysterious mathematical genius Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) works in the unassuming profession of accounting, specifically doing books for various criminal organizations worldwide. When he takes on a legitimate client, he uncovers a million-dollar discrepancy that unravels a dangerous chain of events. Christian must then face not only government investigation but also serious physical danger. Along the way, he meets junior accountant Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick). As he uncovers the truth, Christian also takes on the responsibility of protecting Dana.

Autistic, genius, accountant, assassin - Christian possesses a complex charm, a personality that combines both strength and vulnerability. Speaking of male charm, I have my own set of criteria. One of these comes from a 17-year-old Jodie Foster's interview:

"The greatest quality for a woman actress would be a kind of intelligence and a strength that comes out, sometimes it's sort of Looney, like Vanessa Redgrave. She gets kinda strange and big eyes, but you know she is a very brilliant and intelligent woman. In a man, I think it's a sort of vulnerability. That's probably the biggest factor. When you look at the biggest actors today, that's what they all kind of have is that way of saying 'I can be hurt and I'm sensitive'."

I understand that charismatic men and women should possess an androgynous, mixed quality. For instance, women, who are stereotypically seen as innocent and helpless, should show intelligence and strength. Men, stereotypically seen as tough and resolute, should display humility and vulnerability.

In my view, Christian in the story meets this standard: so powerful, yet so vulnerable. When he acts as an accountant, he lives an extremely ordinary and mundane life, but when he acts as an assassin, he reveals his extraordinarily unusual side. His life is a fusion of two extremes, and it's also a projection of his personality.

The Bourne Identity is another such example. When audiences first meet Bourne, he appears to be an unremarkable person who seems quite vulnerable. He knows nothing about the world, and viewers don't have an omniscient perspective of the story. Without understanding the full picture, we completely follow Bourne's perspective, gradually unraveling the mystery. Throughout this process, the protagonist is often lonely, and violence becomes a means of self-preservation within that solitude.

The character logic in The Accountant follows a similar pattern. Christian's reclusiveness in the film is self-evident, his vulnerability stemming from his autism and personality. Unlike typical action movie protagonists who can always call an all-powerful friend for help with just one phone call, Christian seems to have no friends. He struggles to adapt to adult social life, but with little success. His mechanical work routine and difficult social life make it easy for modern urban dwellers to relate to him. So even though he's such an unusual person, audiences can empathize with him and see his ordinary human side.

The female lead Dana becomes the object of his inner kindness and gentleness. The petite, non-threatening, light-clothes-wearing, approachable Anna creates a stark contrast with the tall, brooding, taciturn Ben Affleck. Anna's presence adds a touch of softness and romance to this otherwise grey, male-dominated film. In the second part, without Anna's participation, this softness completely disappears. The emotional focus shifts to the story between Christian and his brother.

Of course, from a critical perspective, like the female lead in The Bourne Identity, action movie heroines are often functional characters used to complete the male protagonist's character arc. They don't represent authentic female images but rather serve as devices to trigger the male hero's motivations. However, compared to most Bond girls and Mission: Impossible female leads, Dana in The Accountant doesn't end up as the protagonist's love interest. The two never really develop a romantic relationship. Moreover, completely eliminating the female lead's scenes isn't the best strategy for addressing thin female characterization. The Accountant 2 retained the CIA agent Marybeth as a female character, but her screen time isn't sufficient to make her an emotionally engaging protagonist. While watching, I couldn't help but wonder if her character's existence was serving another form of political correctness, similar to this year's popular spy film The Day of the Jackal.

Although Lashana Lynch's Bianca appears to be as important a protagonist as Eddie Redmayne's The Jackal, audience feedback shows that people easily fall in love with and empathize with the murderous Jackal, finding him more charismatic. Meanwhile, they lack patience and empathy for Bianca, even despising her relentless pursuit of Jackal. Audiences' likes and dislikes aren't based on the characters' inherent moral standing or abilities, but rather on the charm the writers bestowed upon each character. The directors' and writers' favoritism toward the Jackal is unmistakable.

The Jackal's scenes are sensitive and emotional, showing his complex and vulnerable inner world, his understated personality, and his powerful abilities. In contrast, Bianca's scenes and storyline feel more formulaic and thin, highlighting her irresponsibility as a mother and her antisocial personality. The Jackal's story is told thoroughly, with many details large and small developing his character. Bianca's side remains relatively one-dimensional, constantly emphasizing the severe consequences of her mistakes. This unconsciously leads audiences to judge Bianca from an observer's perspective, even worrying that she might catch the Jackal too quickly.

For example, although the Jackal has killed countless people and let innocent teammates die for him, the writers didn't put effort into portraying his victims as vivid, emotional people - they're merely tools to complete the Jackal's story. But for Bianca, the consequences of each of her mistakes are amplified through the victims' emotions. Audiences can feel that the people Bianca kills are flesh-and-blood individuals, leading to greater disgust at her coldness and foolishness. As a female protagonist, her storyline is almost identical to that of traditional action movie male antagonists. Isn't that ironic?

I believe this writing approach harbors an extremely subtle stereotypical and misogynistic attitude toward women.

Of course, pointing this out doesn't mean these films become terrible or worthless due to the absence or failed portrayal of female leads, including The Accountant 2. Although the story lacks a female lead and shows less of his accountant and autistic sides, which reduces my connection with the male protagonist as a viewer, the excellent action design and scene direction still make it worth watching for anyone who saw the first part. After all, these days, there aren't many action movies with good action sequences. After getting tired of superheroes, let me return to the world of ordinary people. Rather than seeing Ben Affleck play Superman, I prefer watching him play an autistic genius assassin. What do you think?