Recap: Martijn goes to Morocco to set up a food program for malnourished kids in the Rif mountains. Once there, he and his guide Gavin get attacked on a bus and kidnapped. Transported to an unknown location, Gavin is soon executed and Martijn interrogated about his intentions. Not being able to answer the kidnappers resort to torture by cutting off his fingers, one at a time. Slowly Martijn learns what his kidnappers want, and slowly he reveals his secrets...
Comments: Starts out very promising building an air of suspense very quickly. But slowly, as the leads and recollections trickles out the ending comes more an more clear. And that's before the real ending happens. So when the real ending do come, the suspense is lost, the mystery gone and the supposed twist straight as an arrow.
What it is though is an interesting attempt to move sympathy. Where the sympathy lies from the beginning is quite clear but as the story develops it shifts. It does not shift to the other end, and if that was the intention it fails. I'm not sure that that was the attempt though, but what it does do is that sympathy evaporates. And that actually, even though it is an interesting project and intriguing in itself, is a problem at the end. If we have no one to sympathize with at the end, why should we care at all? And that was my concluding emotions and thoughts at the end, compounded by the predictable end. Yes, interesting, but so what? It felt like the movie didn't matter. And that, I'm sure, is not what was intended. I guess quite the contrary. This is not a movie just to make money. This is a movie that wanted to make a statement, to leave an impression. It failed.
What it does have is a good cast. Ryan Phillipe and Laurence Fishburne as the competing masterminds, the competing chess players, competing to match wits, do their part very well. Fishburne cool and calculating. Clearly in control and even cruel. Phillipe much more emotional but not lost nor weak. Gina Torres splendid as Fishburnes aide. She has the emotional side that Fishburnes character lacks (or does not show) but is just as calculating and cruel. Honorable mentions to Colm Meany and Touriya Haoud. All their performances very well, the cast clearly lifted the movie a few steps.
5/10
Comments: Starts out very promising building an air of suspense very quickly. But slowly, as the leads and recollections trickles out the ending comes more an more clear. And that's before the real ending happens. So when the real ending do come, the suspense is lost, the mystery gone and the supposed twist straight as an arrow.
What it is though is an interesting attempt to move sympathy. Where the sympathy lies from the beginning is quite clear but as the story develops it shifts. It does not shift to the other end, and if that was the intention it fails. I'm not sure that that was the attempt though, but what it does do is that sympathy evaporates. And that actually, even though it is an interesting project and intriguing in itself, is a problem at the end. If we have no one to sympathize with at the end, why should we care at all? And that was my concluding emotions and thoughts at the end, compounded by the predictable end. Yes, interesting, but so what? It felt like the movie didn't matter. And that, I'm sure, is not what was intended. I guess quite the contrary. This is not a movie just to make money. This is a movie that wanted to make a statement, to leave an impression. It failed.
What it does have is a good cast. Ryan Phillipe and Laurence Fishburne as the competing masterminds, the competing chess players, competing to match wits, do their part very well. Fishburne cool and calculating. Clearly in control and even cruel. Phillipe much more emotional but not lost nor weak. Gina Torres splendid as Fishburnes aide. She has the emotional side that Fishburnes character lacks (or does not show) but is just as calculating and cruel. Honorable mentions to Colm Meany and Touriya Haoud. All their performances very well, the cast clearly lifted the movie a few steps.
5/10