Movie Review: The Foreigner

The Foreigner ** ½ / *****

Directed by: Martin Campbell.

Written by: David Marconi based on the novel by Stephen Leather.

Starring: Jackie Chan (Ngoc Minh Quan), Pierce Brosnan (Liam Hennessy), Michael McElhatton (Jim Kavanagh), Charlie Murphy (Maggie), Liu Tao (Keyl Lan), Orla Brady (Mary Hennessy).

 

The Foreigner is one of those movies that would have benefited from either taking itself more seriously or less seriously – as playing things as they did means the film cannot be the fun, goofy action movie that you may expect from a Jackie Chan film, but also not a serious exploration of the cycles of violence the film obviously strains for. It’s an odd action movie in that it is one without a true hero – everyone in the film exists moral gray areas, and are more than a little compromised. But it’s almost as if the movie doesn’t quite know that – and tries to elevate Chan’s character into a hero, which he really isn’t. Neither is Chan really up for some of the sad, subtle dramatic scenes the movie asks of him. It’s a film that left me more frustrated than anything else – because I think there’s a good film in here somewhere.

 

The film stars Chan as Ngoc Minh Quon – who came in England in 1984, after fleeing his native China. He has already had to bury a wife and two daughters – and when a terrorist attack takes from him his last child – a teenage daughter – he pretty much snaps. A group calling themselves the “Authentic IRA” takes credit for the bombing – which leaves a total of 12 people dead – although what precisely they’re asking of Britain is not entirely clear. The bombing places pressure of Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) – the highest ranking Irish member of the government, a former IRA and Sein Fein member himself, who has tried to go fully political in achieving his goals. One of the people who isn’t convinced Liam has completely left that side behind is, of course, Quon – who doesn’t know anyone else in the IRA, so he starts to target Liam himself. All he wants is the names of the bombers he warns – and has the skills to back up his silent threats.

 

I admired parts of The Foreigner to be sure – especially how it really didn’t really depend on false villainy at any step along the way. The movie makes it clear just what a horribly awkward position Liam is in – and while it is of his own design – it would have been hard regardless. Things started so simple – but that got bigger than he could have imagined. He has pressure from the Brits, from his fellow Irishmen, and from inside his own family. Brosnan doesn’t often get good roles anymore – but here, he shows why he should – it’s a fine performance. Chan doesn’t fare quite as well. He is, of course, aging – and not quite the physical performer he once was. There was a time, when Chan was as gifted at that as we’ve ever seen in movie history – but time marches on. As a man suffering from grief and perhaps PTSD, Chan doesn’t really do much other than sit and look morose. The extended middle section – where I almost felt like I was watching a remake of First Blood – was probably the nadir of this. I’m not sure if the filmmakers – or Chan himself – didn’t realize that Quon really isn’t a hero here – he’s as morally compromised as anyway – but the films confusion over this, doesn’t help.

 

The film was directed by Martin Campbell – a fine director of action movies – his best being Casino Royale, but it’s a solid, sturdy resume. This isn’t his best work - it’s even more workmanlike than usual for him – but it’s decent. But what the movie really needed to do is either embrace the action movie clichés it exhibits, and go wholly over-the-top fun, or else become a more serious exploration of terrorism and the cycle of violence. Because it tries to be both, it doesn’t really work as either.