Cleanskin - Bis zum Anschlag

This move pleasantly surprised me. I was expecting a rather mindless 'lets get the terrorists' themed action film but was instead treated to a film that, to a limited extent, tried to explore the motivations of the main characters whilst still maintaining the feel and pace of an action movie.

On the action side, it was quite good. The fight scenes felt quite real and were not over the top but still managed to have quite an impact. Where the film fell short however, was the other side, in the explaining motivations. It almost seemed to me that a 30-45min chunk of the film was left out in the middle. The part of the movie that drew me in the most was the bomber and how outside influences as well as his own personal feelings pushed him in the direction he ended up going in but, it needed more of that. As, to me at least, I couldn't attach myself to the leaps he made along the way which overall, ruined what would have otherwise been a very very interesting exploration of the subject.

Perhaps I'm asking too much of an action orientated film, but, I think the film makers in this instance, were doing the same.

A great performance from not only Sean but also the girl (Tuppence?), and it was nice to see Peter Polycarpou back on our screen!

cleanskin will appeal to a wide audience, not just those who are still recovering from 7/7 (which i couldn't stop thinking about whilst watching) and it's helpful seeing the side from the "good guy" and the side from the "bad guy".

having lived in London when i was younger, it was nice to see some of the landmarks i visited as a kid, so it seems they really went out of their way to keep the realism in the film. it could have easily been filmed in a film studio but it wasn't, which makes it home more for me.

Still the scenes linger in the memory after i watched them.

A rough, tough and extremely violent movie that sees Game of Thrones star Sean Bean swap doublet and sword for civvies and gun to play a British secret service agent who's ordered to going under cover to track down some missing Semtex explosive and the home-grown Islamist suicide cell possessing it. The title is spy-speak for terrorists with no criminal record, so unknown to the secret services that they're almost impossible to trace. Sean Bean is his usual tough minimalist self, but keeping into account he's the star of the show, he's not on screen a lot - a case of too much terrorist, not enough secret agent. The story certainly has ambition and there are some memorable fight scenes, but it also lacks the extra boost that could have pushed much more Bean's action-movie career.

If you're expecting James Bond, or even Jason Bourne, you've come to the wrong place. This is a brutally realistic film about how both sides in the so-called 'War on Terror' bend every rule of civilized conduct in order to further their own questionable ends. It's a story about people who have absolutely no doubt that their ends justify the means... even though those 'ends' long ago ceased being particularly noble, if indeed they ever were.

The story concerns the journey of one Middle Eastern man from political agnostic to suicide commando. His compelling, if fairly obvious, tale is counterpointed against the gradual awakening of the British assassin sent to track him down, operating well outside the rules of police work or even espionage.

There are no laughs in this movie, no car chases. There is extreme violence, and a lot of incentive to question the purpose of that violence. The characters are strong, as is the message. Unfortunately, those who most need to hear that message are likely to either avoid this film entirely, or conveniently misunderstand it.

The film has violently constructed action and fight sequences. Heads splattering, arms snapped and one of the best head shots I've seen in a long time. The pace is good and Mean Bean is grizzled and grazzled, like he eats broken glass for breakfast and nails for lunch, the bloke looks like he's been shoved through a cement mixer and survived.

The terrorist is good and the guy who plays the assassin maniac who comes from abroad is seriously scary, that blokes eyes make you sh*t yourself.

I enjoyed it, it's a fun genre movie. Not for all the family lol!! and certainly not a date movie, you will not get laid with your lady if you take her to this movie but it's a lads film with a twisty turny ending that makes you know this is pure genre.