This is inspired by a true story, but they also say some scenes were fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Journalist Victor Malarek (Josh Hartnett) decides to go after dirty cops in Canada to help free Daniel Leger (Antonio Olivier Pelon) an ex-Junkie who got involved in a bad drug deal and is now in a Thailand prison.
As you watch you think there are 2-stories in here, but the film goes back and fourth often between the past and the present. All you see about Daniel Leger, a small-time junkie is background before he goes to Thailand funded by the Canadian Police to bring in a huge drug bust. The cops headed by Sgt Frank Cooper (McHattie) are told Daniel is a big time drug king with connections in Thailand drugs. Journalist Victor finds out the truth and tries to convince his editors that the Canadian cops are breaking the law using Daniel to get a big drug bust even though they know Daniel is not a drug lord.
Now who told the Canadian cops that Daniel is a big time drug lord? It was Glen Picker (Jim Gaffigan) who is a Confidential Informant for Frank Cooper and he sees a way to make more money from that job. Frank Cooper was passed over for promotion and sees a way to make himself relevant.
As I said, this story jumps back and forth often and it can become confusing. When I saw a scene that showed Daniel out of prison, I wondered how he got out, but then it dawned on me that this scene was again part of his background before going to Thailand. See?
Notables: A very pretty Amanda Crew as Anna, Victor's wife, who believes Victor is more Interested in his job than in his wife and new baby; Jim Gaffigan as Glen Picker, who runs a fishing charter business and takes in Daniel when Daniel had no money and no place to go.
I felt the story had too many scenes with Daniel in a Thailand prison and some of this this was hard to watch.
All in all we see Daniel who believed in the system and was betrayed by it, and unscrupulous police acting to promote themselves; and then we see someone who tries to right injustice.
See the statements at the end to find out what happened to everyone. (7/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: Yes, but not much. Rating: B (11 October 2020)
Journalist Victor Malarek (Josh Hartnett) decides to go after dirty cops in Canada to help free Daniel Leger (Antonio Olivier Pelon) an ex-Junkie who got involved in a bad drug deal and is now in a Thailand prison.
As you watch you think there are 2-stories in here, but the film goes back and fourth often between the past and the present. All you see about Daniel Leger, a small-time junkie is background before he goes to Thailand funded by the Canadian Police to bring in a huge drug bust. The cops headed by Sgt Frank Cooper (McHattie) are told Daniel is a big time drug king with connections in Thailand drugs. Journalist Victor finds out the truth and tries to convince his editors that the Canadian cops are breaking the law using Daniel to get a big drug bust even though they know Daniel is not a drug lord.
Now who told the Canadian cops that Daniel is a big time drug lord? It was Glen Picker (Jim Gaffigan) who is a Confidential Informant for Frank Cooper and he sees a way to make more money from that job. Frank Cooper was passed over for promotion and sees a way to make himself relevant.
As I said, this story jumps back and forth often and it can become confusing. When I saw a scene that showed Daniel out of prison, I wondered how he got out, but then it dawned on me that this scene was again part of his background before going to Thailand. See?
Notables: A very pretty Amanda Crew as Anna, Victor's wife, who believes Victor is more Interested in his job than in his wife and new baby; Jim Gaffigan as Glen Picker, who runs a fishing charter business and takes in Daniel when Daniel had no money and no place to go.
I felt the story had too many scenes with Daniel in a Thailand prison and some of this this was hard to watch.
All in all we see Daniel who believed in the system and was betrayed by it, and unscrupulous police acting to promote themselves; and then we see someone who tries to right injustice.
See the statements at the end to find out what happened to everyone. (7/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: Yes, but not much. Rating: B (11 October 2020)