Thursday, October 19, 2017

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: THE FOREIGNER



The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 
on THE FOREIGNER (2017, 114 minutes, R)


The Quick of It -
Martial arts is such a great facet of this world we live in… and very unappreciated.  And I’m not talking about that fluffier, stylistically weaker stuff you might encounter in gi’s.  Those styles are more sports-oriented, with a sense of fighting mixed in.  Oh, this includes the ‘dancing’ styles (refence: Jean Claude Van Damme).  They have their merits, but not as a ‘martial’ art.

A true martial artist practices the art as a way of life.  True, it is about bringing the fight to the next level.  But not just physically.  There are also emotional and spiritual levels that must be respected.  My top pick for this generation in the film industry is Jet Li, hands down.  But he is not the only one that deserves major praise.  A close second is Jackie Chan.  Jackie may show a little too much Wushu for my taste but he is a true warrior.  He has proven that by always doing his own stunts in movies.  No one can take that away from him, not after so many years. 


Something that also cannot be dismissed.  He has such a big heart.  You can see his sincerity even in the smallest aspects of his acting.  His role in THE FOREIGNER showcases this talent to the Nth degree, and you are pulled into his heartbreaking situation at the start.  He plays a humble restaurant owner and the father to a teenage girl who gets killed by an IRA bombing in London.  As the movie progresses, you learn tragedy has struck his life more than just this once.  This, though, becomes the final straw and he is hellbent on exacting revenge.


As you hopefully know from following his illustrious career, Jackie is in the twilight years and age has crept into his body.  Does this stop him?  No, it only heightens the sympathy you become anchored to in the character.  Director Martin Campbell (of CASINO ROYALE, GONDENEYE, THE MASK OF ZORRO, and ahemmm…  GREEN LANTERN) uses this and drops it into a bleakish-style opening to the film and never releases you.  You could almost feel the sense of mourning taking place and the internal cry for retribution. 


To say THE FOREIGNER is a ‘sleeper hit’ for this year would give too much praise but it deserves a strong mention.  Based on the novel ‘The Chinaman’ by Stephen Leather, the film offers something a little different than all the other action films on your list.  The dramatic elements and cinematography are quite effective and keep you rooting for the elderly underdog, trapped in the political innerworkings of Belfast and the IRA, hoping to make right on his horrible loss.

Jackie Chan, you still amaze me.

Grade: B+

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