Does this tense thriller deliver? Find out in our review!
Michael Chiklis and Forest Whitaker have not been seen on screen together since the critically acclaimed Shield. While any chance to see these two great actors on screen together again is exciting, both were wasted in this film. Forest Whitaker pulls out a respectable performance in the beginning of the film as he aids the already tense atmosphere by providing phenomenal acting. Even when a twist is quickly revealed out of left field, Whitaker’s acting ability makes it both believable and terrifying. Chiklis’ performance is similar to that of a rook on a chessboard, only able to move in one direction at a time.
Chiklis is talend is wasted on the script.
There is no doubt that Chiklis has talent and he attempts to do the best he can with the material. His faux cockney accent comes off as a stale impersonation of Jason Statham and he is never believable as the bad ass “Brit” he tries desperately to portray. The same can be said about Common. Common plays Jeff Porter, a hostage negotiator. Common has proven that he has the chops in movies such as Smoking Aces, Luv, and the television show Hell On Wheels. Here the rapper turned actor gives the audience a mere empty shell of the talent he has to offer. His delivery is dry and stiff. By looking at his face throughout the film, not even Common seems to believe the character he is portraying. There is however one stand out performance in the film.
Common's performance is an empty shell of his actual talent.
