It has happened finally. Jet Li has made a foreign movie (that would be a non Chinese movie) that is actually good. For the most part, Jet Li's career in American and European movies have been brainless action movies. In these movies Jet has not had to act and would appear to the untrained eye as not being able to act. This of course is not true (especially if you have seen any of his Chinese movies - Once Upon a Time in China series and Fong Sai Yuk series as an example). This movie actually lets him flex his acting muscle.
The story revolves around a Glasgow loan shark, Bart, (played despicably well by Bob Hoskins) who enforces his territory with the use of a man on a leash (a.k.a. Danny, Jet Li). When the leash is taken off and the command given, Danny springs into a violent rage. With the collar on, Danny is quite docile and child-like. As the story progresses, we discover that Danny has been "trained" to behave like this since he was a child. He eats from a can and sleeps in a cage. When Bart rubs a payee the wrong way, the payee feels the need to rub Bart out (namely with a dump truck and some automatic rifles). Danny gets away, and stumbles onto a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon), who take him in and show him a different lifestyle.
The conflict in this movie arises from the contact between Danny's two divergent lifestyles (especially since Bart doesn't die in the hit). First and foremost, if one comes to see this movie with a preconceived notion of Jet Li (especially from his non-Chinese movies), you will be disappointed. This is not an action movie. This is a drama. This is not to say there isn't action in the movie, but it is not the main attraction.
There is action in this movie, but it doesn't dominate the drama. It is used effectively to convey the chaos and inhumanity that Danny goes through. The action is quite good and Ong-Bak-ish. One can't help but go ouch, when a kick or punch (or sledge-hammer) connects.
Jet Li is the main attraction of this movie. In studying for this role, Jet Li trained with an acting coach and seemed to do quite a lot of method acting. On set he would sit alone and eat his food and would isolate himself from people. He also studied the behavior of dogs. Morgan Freeman plays the wisely-father-figure. Kerry Condon does a good job of playing the cute, innocent, & potential love interest. Bob Hoskins does a great job of doing a cockney, ruthless thug. Jet's performance along with that of his supporting cast, make this the best of the Jet Li's foreign (non-Chinese) movies. I highly recommend it.
-Celluloid Rehab
The story revolves around a Glasgow loan shark, Bart, (played despicably well by Bob Hoskins) who enforces his territory with the use of a man on a leash (a.k.a. Danny, Jet Li). When the leash is taken off and the command given, Danny springs into a violent rage. With the collar on, Danny is quite docile and child-like. As the story progresses, we discover that Danny has been "trained" to behave like this since he was a child. He eats from a can and sleeps in a cage. When Bart rubs a payee the wrong way, the payee feels the need to rub Bart out (namely with a dump truck and some automatic rifles). Danny gets away, and stumbles onto a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon), who take him in and show him a different lifestyle.
The conflict in this movie arises from the contact between Danny's two divergent lifestyles (especially since Bart doesn't die in the hit). First and foremost, if one comes to see this movie with a preconceived notion of Jet Li (especially from his non-Chinese movies), you will be disappointed. This is not an action movie. This is a drama. This is not to say there isn't action in the movie, but it is not the main attraction.
There is action in this movie, but it doesn't dominate the drama. It is used effectively to convey the chaos and inhumanity that Danny goes through. The action is quite good and Ong-Bak-ish. One can't help but go ouch, when a kick or punch (or sledge-hammer) connects.
Jet Li is the main attraction of this movie. In studying for this role, Jet Li trained with an acting coach and seemed to do quite a lot of method acting. On set he would sit alone and eat his food and would isolate himself from people. He also studied the behavior of dogs. Morgan Freeman plays the wisely-father-figure. Kerry Condon does a good job of playing the cute, innocent, & potential love interest. Bob Hoskins does a great job of doing a cockney, ruthless thug. Jet's performance along with that of his supporting cast, make this the best of the Jet Li's foreign (non-Chinese) movies. I highly recommend it.
-Celluloid Rehab