For the devotees of this film, I'm sorry to say that this is one that didn't grab me. Maybe it was the disorienting flashback style, or the fact that characters in the film were often hard to understand when they spoke. I won't deny the stand out performances of Ralph Fiennes or Rachel Weisz, but there was something about their characters that didn't really translate into my caring about them as individuals. That was especially true after Tessa (Weisz) compromised herself with the creepy attaché Sandy Woodrow (Danny Houston). It made me feel like she trapped her husband Justin (Fiennes) in pretty much the same way to get a toehold into the 'exposing corruption' game. Again, it boils down to sympathy for the characters.
The ending as well didn't ring true, as Justin calmly and unceremoniously awaits his fate in the African wilderness. Was the ordeal of uncovering the truth too much to bear, or did he simply take it as fact that a contract on his life would unavoidably succeed?
For me, this is one thriller that didn't thrill even as intrigue mounted and plots were uncovered. Except for the skills of it's principals, this is one film I would find hard to recommend.
The ending as well didn't ring true, as Justin calmly and unceremoniously awaits his fate in the African wilderness. Was the ordeal of uncovering the truth too much to bear, or did he simply take it as fact that a contract on his life would unavoidably succeed?
For me, this is one thriller that didn't thrill even as intrigue mounted and plots were uncovered. Except for the skills of it's principals, this is one film I would find hard to recommend.