Unthinkable

Carrie-Anne Moss represents the average citizen watching this movie, having a facade of superior human rights beliefs (that we tend to have in western countries) that gradually get whittled away as the situation in the movie get more desperate.

How far are we really willing to go to save millions of people? When the entire country is at stake, how far is the US really willing to go with dealing with terrorists? We can claim our governments are moral and upholding human rights, but at the end of the day, the government can do whatever it wants. It doesn't need your approval, and it will do what it believes is required for self-preservation. This movie flaunts that idea.

Unthinkable has excellent mind-play and dialogue that really gets you thinking and challenges what we really believe about human rights.

The toughest, least compromising movie I have ever seen. Went straight to video because it was thought, rightly, that the American public couldn't take it. Not for the faint of heart, but if you watch, you will never forget it. And the issues it raises both personally and politically for our country today are terrible and complex. Samuel L. Jackson., Michael Sheen and Carrie-Anne Moss have never been better. Extremely violent but not a moment is gratuitous. Look through your fingers, look away but do not give up on this film. There is an extended version, 90 seconds longer at the end. Don't watch that one, or at least watch the "regular" version first.

Time is ticking as three bombs are hidden in American cities, and a terrorist Steven Younger (Michael Sheen) is tortured for the information of their locations, however, is he telling the whole truth.

Genuine nail-biting performances from Sheen and Matrix's actress Carrie-Anne Moss as 'Brody'. Despite Sheens's less than convincing accent (which doesn't impair his great performance) you have to give him credit for this brave choice of acting job given the subject matter of terrorism. He is the modern alternative of Hannibal Lecter, reminiscent but more dangerous and excelling the normality of Gerard Butler's terrorist character Clyde Shelton in the recent Law Abiding Citizen (2009). Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect calmed, cold torturer Henry Herald 'H' Humphries. There is depth his character, ruthless yet a family man, emotionless, yet sensitive and the viewers moral standpoint can only decide if he is right or wrong.

Principles, religious beliefs, good and evil are questioned and touched upon in Peter Woodward's screen-play. It's also packed with Government, FBI, CIA and political conspiracies. With a great score that builds the tension, Unthinkable is intriguing and gripping as it unfolds at a pulse pounding pace with an ending to die for.

It's a topical thriller wonderfully directed by Gregor Jordan and certainly worth every second of your viewing time.

This film is great simply because it makes the viewer ask themselves important and tough questions.

If you are an open minded person, Unthinkable makes you think about things you definitely should ponder, even though you would probably rather not have to think about them.

This film essentially brings up the old adage that few things in this world are truly black and white, even though politicians, media, films, etc, usually like to pretend they are. We live in a complicated world of color where black and white makes grey. The truth or best options usually lie somewhere in the middle. Balance is truly the way of nature and those who are sane. These extremes of black and white thinking (Rights and wrongs) are as primitive as cave art. Yet still, this crap mentality is ingrained in humans across the world and still shoveled at us from countless sources, even though many of us know better.

The film as a whole goes a little over the top Hollywood (Rather than sticking to realism) in a couple of scenes. This is far, far from a perfect film, but it's tough questions alone make it well worth watching.

7/10

The title of this movie could also serve as it's 1-word review. It is well worth watching if you are serious about films. But it very strong stuff that poses some serious questions about a subject that I don't like to think about; torture in the pursuit saving lives.

Samuel L. Jackson plays a shadowy U.S. Government operative who will go to any lengths to get info from a terrorist & his plot to blow up millions of people on our home soil. Michael Sheen (who memorably played David Frost in "Frost/Nixon") is that terrorist. Carrie-Anne Moss is an FBI agent caught in the middle of their deadly cat & mouse.

The movie's biggest strength is that we believe that Jackson's "H" is capable of doing ANYTHING to save innocent lives including the "unthinkable". Jackson, in words & action, really sells the role. This is some the best work he has ever done. Sheen shows why he is one of the most sought after actors today. Moss is strong as the movie's moral center -- a center that shows some very serious signs of disintegrating.

The tension is non-stop. The script is often heavy-handed, but for good reason. The direction is crisp & the editing sharp.

How this went straight to video echoes the question why last year's best picture Oscar winner got such poor distribution.

BE WARNED: the numerous torture scenes are very tough to take. They almost cross over into torture-porn (which I hate). I'm sure --I hope-- the filmmakers had plenty of debate about how far to take the violence. My usual disgust with such scenes was balanced by the way they drive home the debate of a very troubling issue.

I'm not ready to see this movie again anytime soon but I'm glad I saw it once.