Monday, August 9, 2010

Review: Unthinkable


A white American Muslim is arrested for threatening the country with three hidden nuclear weapons. Federal agents try to interrogate him, but eventually a black-ops specialist is brought in to torture and use any force necessary to find the locations of the explosives. No matter how much physical and emotional pain the suspect endures, it becomes clear that he is playing them as much as they are playing him.

This dialogue heavy picture allows for some really fantastic performances to make it on the screen. Carrie Anne Moss excels in her role, while Samuel L. Jackson leaves everything on the reel. His mysterious "shadow man" is hard to read. His actions are evil, but his intentions seem good. Stephen Root proves why he is such a great character actor, and Michael Sheen continues his reign as one of the most consistently performing actors working today. Sheen is equal parts empathetic and disgusting. He loses the audiences sympathy as quickly as he earns it with every turn.

The movie presents a number of questions and never gives clear-cut answer. It allows the audience to come to its own conclusion. Is torturing effective? Is it morally right? What if it is for the continuing safety of the country? Can you trust the information? Who is evil? The story presents these questions and than plays with the answers pulling at different heartstrings and social norms.

For a movie that is so ambiguous and is set almost entirely in one location, it draws you in and scares you to the core. I would not call it propaganda, but it will make you step back and reassess your values and the values of this country as this scenario is an obvious reflection of our society's current fears: a Muslim attack from within in an unnamed city that is all too recognizable.

9/10

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