Ben Kinsley has placed bombs at various locations in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He demands that four terrorists be released or else he will explode them. The DIG (Ben Cross) is given authority to what ever he has to do to handle the situation. The first 10 minutes consists of planting the bombs, followed by the cat and mouse game between Kinsley and Cross.
The movie loosely held my interest in spite of the low action level and twist I had figured out after the first 10 minutes. The main problem is that the idea that Kinsley's actions represent "the common man." Certainly his views are reflective of a large portion of the population, but for me, I prefer the statement, "It is not about who they are, but it is about who we are." This film makes me cringe to think about who we are.
The message of this film should have appeal to those typically associated with right wing views. Might make for a rental for those who want to watch an "action/thriller" that is more of a drama.
Parental Guide: 1 f-bomb. No sex or nudity.
A Common Man
2013
Action / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
A Common Man
2013
Action / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
A terrorist plants several bombs throughout the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka and threatens to detonate them unless prisoners are released.
Uploaded by: OTTO
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Tech specs
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DON'T ASK HOW, ASK WHY
Not so common man
The German title of the movie is a bit of a giveaway, so I hope you did not have a chance to look at that or watch it here. But even if it wasn't you will figure out what is going on before most characters in here know what is happening. The rest is morally ambiguous and might not be your taste or might be right up your ally.
Whatever the case, Sir Ben Kingsley gives a more than decent performance, though I'm not sure he as a person would agree to what the movie and his character are standing for. But that's just it, it is a movie and therefor should not be seen as anything more than that. Although it might be fair to say that the director might have more goals and messages to send, it's just what the viewer can assume. Maybe he was just trying to make us think about the topic at hand. And that he achieved for sure
Kingsley's Talents Are Wasted Here
A terrorist (Ben Kingsley) plants several bombs throughout the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka and threatens to detonate them unless prisoners are released.
Writing a review for this film without revealing the end is a bit hard to do, but I will try. There are many things about this production that can be said...
First of all, this is a remake of an Indian film called "A Wednesday". I have not seen it, but if the reviews are any indication, the original is vastly superior (and probably worth my seeking out).
Second, Kingsley is completely wasted here. He is one of the great actors of our times, and is vastly underrated for some reason. He gets cast in movies that are forgettable, like this one and "The Wackness". Even when he shines (which is almost always),it is hard to appreciate the talent when he is surrounded by rubbish.
Lastly, the people who made this did not seem to grasp English. When Kingsley speaks, it sounds pretty okay. But when others speak, they talk in a nonsense style sometimes, repeat themselves a lot... it just never makes sense. This is the film's biggest weakness -- do not try to make a film in English if you cannot speak the language. I would much rather watch a Sri Lankan film with subtitles if it would sound more natural...