Recent movie I managed to watch
I shouldn't even be posting this since I was not really paying attention to this movie. You see, I like to have music/talk radio will I work. So, sometimes I play music or podcast on my iPod.
Other times I log onto Netflix an pick a movie, not a movie I want to watch but a movie that I might watch.
That's how I ran into "Unthinkable". I didn't bother to read the summary or anything else. I saw Samuel L. Jackson and that was good enough. The first scenes are cool. They have that feeling of lack of control that screams great movie. After the credits everything goes downhill. I am not sure I'll reveal anything you shouldn't know but since "The Sum of All fears" I kind of like movies where lost nuclear explosives go missing. "The Sum of All Fears" fells so, I don't know, real. Well, no real-real but even though you know there is a hero an he is going to save us all it is going to be a close thing.
I was expected something like that from "Unthinkable" but I was mistaken. The movie is not bad but there are a few "shaggy dog" moments that reallyundo shatter the atmosphere. Now, to be fair, I was doing some calculations while watching the movie so I might have lost a lot just by doing that.
From the IMDB: "A psychological thriller centered around a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent who press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons sets to detonate in the U.S."
So, according to this you expect to get to know three persons very well: the interrogator, the FBI agent and a suspect terrorist. I don't think I got to know any of them. The interrogator pretends to be arrogant and in control by intimidating everyone. The FBI agent never turns into the opposite to the interrogator (bad cop/good cop duality) but sets a mild contrast. The suspect is for most of the time just that, a suspect. He gets to be treated as a terrorist but I guess that's expected this days.
(NB. I know little about what the law in different countries say about the way suspects or even known terrorists are supposed to be treated, what rights they have or have not. As far as I can tell the scenario depicted in this movie is plausible)
At any rate, the climax of the movie feels rushed, blurred. It left me without any final thought to chew on. I was not sure if the message of the movie is that when it comes to terrorism there are no winners or that we should not become a monster to fight a monster. Neither we get any idea of how a man turns to terrorism, what events lead to that transformation. On the other hand, a some stereotypes are used: the terrorist is Muslim, he changed his name, and then turn against his country (apparently he was born in the USA).
As an historical footnote, Muhammad Ali did the first two things and then refused to serve in the USA military. Does anybody considers him a terrorist even if retroactively? I wonder if he has trouble traveling by plane.
Well, you heard my rant. If I have to rate it I'll give it 3/5 stars.
Other times I log onto Netflix an pick a movie, not a movie I want to watch but a movie that I might watch.
That's how I ran into "Unthinkable". I didn't bother to read the summary or anything else. I saw Samuel L. Jackson and that was good enough. The first scenes are cool. They have that feeling of lack of control that screams great movie. After the credits everything goes downhill. I am not sure I'll reveal anything you shouldn't know but since "The Sum of All fears" I kind of like movies where lost nuclear explosives go missing. "The Sum of All Fears" fells so, I don't know, real. Well, no real-real but even though you know there is a hero an he is going to save us all it is going to be a close thing.
I was expected something like that from "Unthinkable" but I was mistaken. The movie is not bad but there are a few "shaggy dog" moments that really
From the IMDB: "A psychological thriller centered around a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent who press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons sets to detonate in the U.S."
So, according to this you expect to get to know three persons very well: the interrogator, the FBI agent and a suspect terrorist. I don't think I got to know any of them. The interrogator pretends to be arrogant and in control by intimidating everyone. The FBI agent never turns into the opposite to the interrogator (bad cop/good cop duality) but sets a mild contrast. The suspect is for most of the time just that, a suspect. He gets to be treated as a terrorist but I guess that's expected this days.
(NB. I know little about what the law in different countries say about the way suspects or even known terrorists are supposed to be treated, what rights they have or have not. As far as I can tell the scenario depicted in this movie is plausible)
At any rate, the climax of the movie feels rushed, blurred. It left me without any final thought to chew on. I was not sure if the message of the movie is that when it comes to terrorism there are no winners or that we should not become a monster to fight a monster. Neither we get any idea of how a man turns to terrorism, what events lead to that transformation. On the other hand, a some stereotypes are used: the terrorist is Muslim, he changed his name, and then turn against his country (apparently he was born in the USA).
As an historical footnote, Muhammad Ali did the first two things and then refused to serve in the USA military. Does anybody considers him a terrorist even if retroactively? I wonder if he has trouble traveling by plane.
Well, you heard my rant. If I have to rate it I'll give it 3/5 stars.
Comments