The Foreigner - A modern tragedy

The Foreigner, based on the book The Chinaman by Stephen Leather (not at all hard to understand the title change), is the story of a Chinese/British citizen with a dark past named Quan (Jackie Chan) living in London with his teenaged daughter. One day Quan's daughter is killed in a bomb attack and a supposed splinter group of the IRA has claimed responsibility. Seeking justice, Quan approaches Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), a former leader of the IRA now turned Irish government official attempting to heal the wounds from his past. Quan asks Liam for the names of the bombers who killed his daughter, but Liam insists that he does not know their identities and is working hard to find them and bring them to justice. However, Quan does not believe in him. Therefore, Quan takes it upon himself to "encourage" Liam into giving up the names of the bombers. What ensues is a game of cat-and-mouse as Liam does his best to beat Quan at his own game, all the while trying to weave his way through the many entanglements that unravel throughout the story.

Despite what the trailers would have you believe, this film is less of an action thriller, and more of a character-driven suspense thriller with well-crafted action scenes every once in a while. That's not to say that the film isn't exciting or thrilling, far from it. Instead to say that it's a story with a lot of texture that relies upon your full attention. Hints are dropped that could be missed, characters true motivations are slowly revealed over time, and the action scenes are cleverly used to shake things up and keep the audience on their toes. Also to show off how awesome Jackie Chan still is.

Speaking of Jackie Chan, while he still gets to show off his fighting ability and stunt work in this film, he also has the opportunity to showcase his ability as an actor. Jackie carries the emotional weight of the movie surprisingly well. Considering how most of his career has been spent on fun and occasionally silly action films, where he's mostly been a kind of competent yet goofy hero, he rarely has had the chance to try something more grounded and subdued. It's a great stretch for Jackie, who pulls it off very well. Especially when he's performing opposite Pierce Brosnan. The two of them have a natural and believable chemistry that adds an air of realism to the story. It's quite visceral.

The action scenes deserve a special mention as they are pleasantly adequately photographed. More often than not, action scenes in movies are treated to what I refer to as "The Red Bull Effect". Where the action scene is shot with the hyper active shaky cam, as part of an ill-guided attempt to make the action seem more real and intense. When used too often, as it usually is, it just doesn't work. As the constant motion, along with the lack of clarity, fails to provide sufficient information for your mind to retain. This is one of the reasons it is difficult to remember most of what happens in say the Transformers movies or anything directed by Paul Greengrass. However, the action scenes in The Foreigner are beautifully stable and well choreographed. Putting it on par with the likes of Ronin and even Skyfall.

While I do recommend you see this film, as it is a genuinely good one, I'm not sure if I can honestly recommend seeing it in theaters, mainly because of the story. While it is well written, it has a lot of twists and turns that could be confusing if you missed or had forgotten a detail or two. It's not really overly complicated, as it is full of texture. Therefore, depending upon your personal preference, you may benefit from watching this movie with the availability of a pause and/or rewind button. Also, you may just want to watch Jackie Chan kick some ass a couple more times before you actually finish the film. I know I did.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Maybe.

Why?
It has a great story, good action, well placed commentary, and stunning performances, but it may be a little too textured for it's own good, and may require a remote control for a more satisfying experience.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.