The Expatriate

I recently saw this film just based on its stars, Aaron Eckhart and Olga Kurylenko. Having watched it, I wonder why it was not better promoted.

An action/suspense flick, it features Eckhart as a CIA agent whose cover suddenly disappears, putting himself and his daughter (Liana Liberato) in mortal danger. No surprise, it looks like some kind of ruthless cover-up conspiracy. Yes, we've all seen movies like this before, but this is a tense, taut, and well-made suspense movie with very good casting. Eckhart is perfect for his role as the pseudo-good guy; handsome, dapper, chiseled. Kurylenko is also great as Anna, the subtly beautiful and inscrutable former colleague and possibly lover, who has the task of bringing him in, whatever that means. Liana Liberato does a credible job as the estranged daughter who just finds out that her Dad is or was a killer.

The plot moves quickly from story setup to action, and the suspense never lets up from there. While it doesn't quite have the thrills of a 'Bourne' film, it kept me interested. And while you kind of know (or hope) how it will end, it is definitely fun getting there.

It is a good movie that I will probably watch again.

That's the German title translated into English. It takes the name of the main character and tries something with it. Aaron Eckhardt is always good and he delivers here too. Even in moments you see him being weak (or making mistakes, especially concerning his daughter or his relationship with her). Having said that, his daughter does act very crazy. Now you could excuse that behavior by saying she's a teenager, but you might also be very annoyed by this.

Either way, the relationship daughter/father does work nice for the movie. There is also a theme running with the father and his trust issues, that is not fully explored. But it still has some fine moments. The tension is high and the movie delivers on the chase scenes too. Not a masterpiece by a long shot, but a nice watch

I personally enjoyed this film despite its many flaws. This is an action movie with enough credible story to hook the viewer and entertain for the duration. The plot is somewhat convoluted and in my opinion hard to follow at times, but despite that, the movie is fast paced with plenty of realist and believable action, so what if you're not certain as to the why this is all unfolding. The ending tries to bring all the whys and wherefores together and I guess it succeeds for the most part. The acting by most was good, but don't expect any Oscar nods for any of this cast. I'm going to cut to the chase, this was a fun movie for viewing, and I would consider it an excellent 5 out of 10 film.

Who's voting here? What do we ask of an action/thriller? 1. Action 2. Suspense that will keep you interested. Hopefully - this can be done intelligently. To do this with intelligence - and good acting - are bonuses. This Film delivered on all these counts. Post-film/editing sometimes don't find the perfect fit and the camera filters/ video are on the dark side (not enough light). Some plot details are muffled along the way but it does not get in the way of the entertainment value. The cast, story, intent and execution - are all there. Emphasis of genre is on "thriller" with some fairly good, fast action scenes that appear professional/credible. Main actors all performed well. Secondaries performances were... secondary. This film will not disappoint.

The expatriate and widower Ben Logan (Aaron Eckhart) has moved from New York to Anrwep with his estranged teenage daughter Amy Logan (Liana Liberato) to work for the technology corporation Halgate Group. When he breaks a sophisticated security code from a device, he notes that its patent has no record in Halgate and he calls the attention of his boss Derek Kohler (Neil Napier). Ben meets Amy and they do not go home; later Ben goes with Amy to his office and they find it completely empty. Further, all the records of his phone calls, e-mails, payslip and bank account have vanished. Out of the blue, a coworker abducts Ben and Amy in the bank but Ben kills him in self-defense. Ben finds a key from a locker in the Central Station and he finds photos of his daughter, himself and his coworkers. His further investigation shows that all the workers are dead in the morgue except Derek Kohler. Soon Ben discovers a huge conspiracy of Halgate Group relative to illegal arms sales to Africa with the involvement of rogue CIA agents. But Ben is in disgrace with the Agency and does not have any reliable contact to recur.

The unoriginal "Erased", a.k.a."The Expatriate", is an action thriller with a promising and intriguing beginning. Unfortunately the stupid and annoying daughter Amy with her silly attitudes makes any viewer lose the temper. The story has many flaws and holes, but the plot is fast-paced and distracts the viewer that is not aware. For example, the killers kill a lot of residents in Belgium; Ben blows-up the car with important guys; the police is chasing Ben and Amy; and he arrives at the airport dirty and ready to embark to the USA and probably without documents. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Perseguição Implacável" ("Relentless Manhunt")