Um Homem Comum

Not quite sure why there are so many negative reviews. Everyone seems to want it to be about retribution and not just a snapshot on a period of a fictional war criminals life.

I found it well acted and a good story which unfortunately could have been set in a number of countries around the world. Enjoy it for what it is.

This movie got everything you need - a good and unique story, good acting and a pro production. If you want action An Ordinary Man will bore you, if you want to watch something substantial with "real-life" characters living in strange and unusual but very realistic circumstances (a war criminal hiding from international authorities after the civil war in former Yugoslavia), this one may be a good one for you.

Ben Kingsley plays 'The General', a War Criminal in some unstated country hiding from those who would prosecute him for his crimes.

His only normal human contact is that of his 'maid' (Hera Hilmar) - an, initially, reluctant participant in the relationship.

Kingsley plays his part with equal indifference and suppressed savagery - though no explicit details are given of his 'atrocities' - you become quickly convinced that this is a creature capable of committing them.

Hilmars' portrayal of a person bound by circumstance is equally ambivalent. Initially repulsed by The General, a tenuous connection rears it's head.

There's very little in the way of 'action' during the entire film - this is not a film about actions, but about the consequences.

Watching he interplay between 'The General' and 'The Maid' is both fascinating and morbid - like watching a car crash in slow motion.

I heartily recommend this film for fans of Kingsley - but if you're expecting an action packed, explosion driven extravaganza of the more modern genre, you'll be disappointed. Hera Hilmar too, plays her part with a subtlety that shows the depth of her acting experience.

An American drama thriller; A story about an infamous war criminal living in one of the states of the former Yugoslavia who spends his life on the run from international authoritiesand discovered by a young woman whom he makes his new maid. An artistic choice was made to have the characters speak in their native accents, and in particular for Kingsley to produce a North Lancashire/West Yorkshire English accent which allowed expression to come freely. But, despite a riveting performance from Kingsley the script is a let down. It struggles to find a groove and remain plausible and no number of surprises in the plot changed that. Motivating an audience to understand a genocidal person bound by circumstance is troublesome if the audience gains no real insight into the character's feeling.

Have seen this excellent film with a 1st Class performance by both Ben Kingsley and the maid Hera Hilmar, kudos to both!