excellent action and acting

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2005)

What a detailed and clever detective thriller. Best acting I've seen in a while. Not what I expected, superior. You really get caught up in the film waiting for him to get his hands on the bad guys. I could watch it twice. This could easily be Denzel Washingtons best acting film to date. His character is appealing and believable. This is a real insight into the surreal underground world of kidnappers for ransom. We follow the detective work which leads to deeper and more sinister characters. The action is also very well done. Every bullet and every movement is expressed with detail and purpose. This is action as art. The violence is an emotional factor in which we see the repercussion of good and bad actions for all parties involved, seen through excellent cinematography and editing. It reminds me a bit of "Behind Enemy Lines" with the zoom in and zoom out on specific clue details and landscape. It really all comes together in this film. Nothing is lacking.