Better Than Expected

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2004)

I went to this film not expected much, so I was surprised to find out how much I found myself enjoying it. I went to see it on the reccomendation of some of my closest friends, all of whom have completely different tastes. The movie is basically a revenge film, but unlike most others of its genre, focuses most intently on the psychology of the man doing the avenging. The film does an excellent job of showing the hero agonized and haunted by an unknown past, and developing a slow but meaningful relationship between him and his young client. To my surprise, almost half of the film takes place before the kidnapping, thereby increasing the emotional impact later on when the abduction takes place. Denzel Washington does an amazing and believable job, as does Dakota Fanning. Christopher Walken is, as usual, Christopher Walken. Although a bit under-used. The only downfall of this film is the editing, as the story goes on, it employs these strange cuts, flashbacks, grainy images, enhanced by strange music that sounds like someone spinning a radio dial. It gets worse, and at times it was downright annoying, like someone messing with your tv cable while you are watching it. It interrupted the flow of the movie. I suppose it's supposed to show the viewer the hero's state of mind, but it only served as an annoyance. Other than the editing, it's a great film, I give it 7 out of 10.