‘15:17’ doesn’t live up to thrilling true story

In the summer of 2015, three young American men boarded a train in Amsterdam, en route to Paris, while enjoying a timehonored rite of passage: a European backpacking trip.

In Brussels, another young man boarded the train, with a backpack full of guns and 300 rounds of ammunition.

After tussling with American teacher Mark Moogalian and shooting him in the neck, he found himself in a car with a trio of young Americans filled with youthful bravado, military training and a desire to not die lying down. What other heady combination could inspire a person to tackle a shirtless man aiming an AK47 in a confined space?

When such events happen, there is the typical fanfare. Perhaps a book, and maybe even a movie made about you, such as “The 15:17 to Paris,” directed by Clint Eastwood, adapted for the screen by Dorothy Blyskal.

Eastwood decided to go further in his biographical depiction, casting the major players as themselves in this blend of documentary and narrative filmmaking. It’s a risk that doesn’t quite pay off. While the three friends do have their charms, their performances are essentially an argument for hiring professional actors.

However, the amateur performances aren’t the biggest problem with “The 15:17 to Paris.” After a while, the awkward line readings fade away, and their natural charisma shines. But for an incident that took about a minute or two, expanding the story to feature length is a stretch, and Blyskal’s script doesn’t know where to focus and features eye-roll inducing dialogue.

The action sequence on the train is truly remarkable, and Eastwood shoots with a documentarystyle immediacy, but the surrounding film — especially the script and performances — doesn’t serve this thrilling true-life story, or the audience.