There are a lot of things to like about this film: the plot, the characters, and the photography are great. Denzel Washington carries the story beautifully, and watching the relationship between his and Dakota Fanning's characters evolve during the first half is in my opinion the best part of the whole movie.
Unfortunately, the viewing experience is largely diminished by the editing. I found the fast-forward-like, jittery sequences meant to show time or emotional breaks in the story are a major distraction. I really believe the film would have been as good without all that flash. As it is, it feels like music video clips or cheap action TV show sequences being forced into a story that otherwise aspires to be something bigger.
I was also disappointed to see the tropes of torture and rough interrogation used so heavily in the second half of the film.
Unfortunately, the viewing experience is largely diminished by the editing. I found the fast-forward-like, jittery sequences meant to show time or emotional breaks in the story are a major distraction. I really believe the film would have been as good without all that flash. As it is, it feels like music video clips or cheap action TV show sequences being forced into a story that otherwise aspires to be something bigger.
I was also disappointed to see the tropes of torture and rough interrogation used so heavily in the second half of the film.