bojotavish

Gerard Butler really takes on a convincing yet non heroic role underplaying his character. He's not an out and out hero, just a bloke who gets side tracked from his daily routine job into a nightmare. There is something quite genuine about Butler's Captain personality, something pleasant and oh so ordinary. Even when the going gets tougher we can see him reluctantly having to survive by doing unthinkable things. The hand to hand fight sequence is a rare and interesting close up using an unedited single rolling camera shot. This is a most unusual tactic but, oh boy, does it emphasise the drama of the fight. You can see him actually struggling to compete in the punch up adding to the realising. All credit ti the director for that. Movie making magic at its best.

I'm so glad that my wife found this Brit Film. Is was always going to end without laughs but that wasn't what we were looking for. Knowing Pierce Brosnan was an elderly seventy year old like me I was interested to see how he held up as a veteran 23 his senior.

Well, he did so magnificently and convincingly. His tactic was to simply underplay the character as you would expect of such an old man and it worked. No excitement, not many guffaws but nevertheless a good film about real people as their lights fade.

Part of me prefers him as Archie here than James Bond because he's so believable. Steel yourself for the unexpected ending and, oh, have those hankies to hand. A proper gem of a movie.

A thoroughly, slick, clever script with smart direction. There were no great surprises as to how and where the movie story was likely to travel.but, hey, it was a real joy to watch.

Harrison Ford got to play a comedy part (superbly) which could have been seen by some viewers as mirroring how he is often portrayed in other more 'active' movie parts. You expect him to be droll be he lowered his droll settings to the deepest pit of cynicism really. Yet he made us laugh playing that same type of guy. Really quite weird but nevertheless very well portrayed.

Dianne Keaton was a perfect as the increasingly exasperated foyle to Ford's self aggrandising TV presenter from a previous era who resented being expected to fit into 21st century daytime tv expectations. Quality acting from a real quality movie veteran.

It does make you think about the some of the undoubted sociopaths who probably populate (some, many?) who claw their way up into highly competitive TV companies with their arrogant, aggressive, insulting, and bullying of others in a pathetic attempt to justify their own power base.

I did feel for the pathetic attempts which some team members had to resort in order stay on the pay roll.

Anyway this is a thoroughly entertaining yet simple and well acted romp. Well done.