The Foreigner (2017) - Film Review

Starring: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton & Dermot Crowley

Screenplay: David Marconi

Directed By: Martin Campbell

Certificate: 15

For those living in the UK, 'The Foreigner' had an … interesting release. I remember seeing the trailers for it roughly mid-way through 2017; I liked the look of it and made a mental note to sit down and watch it when it came out. And then as it got closer to opening in theatres, it strangely seemed to disappear off the radar. It opening in China, America and yet in the UK … nothing. Then as the year drew to a close I learnt that for us Brits, 'The Foreigner' opened as a Netflix exclusive release. Great stuff … so long as you're not one of the four people left in the world who doesn't have Netflix. But a few months later, and thanks to an Italian import DVD off Amazon, I caught up. So was it worth the wait? 

Quan, a highly-skilled veteran of the Vietnam war and now an older man, runs a Chinese restaurant in London. He lives a quiet life, until one day his daughter is killed in a terrorist bombing by a group calling themselves the "Authentic IRA". With the authorities unable to bring those responsible to justice, Quan sets off on his own path of seeking revenge. Travelling to Belfast, he attempts to contact Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister, Liam Hennessy, a former IRA leader. On his mission for revenge, Quan unravels a conspiracy of lies and deceit.

 

It's safe to say that one of the biggest draws of 'The Foreigner' is the opportunity to see two well-established, acclaimed actors work alongside and face off with each other. Both Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan get the chance to flex their acting muscles, with each being cast in roles they aren't typically associated with. Quan is a much more serious, morally questionable character than the more jovial roles Chan has become typecast in. Even Brosnan, who can usually turn his hand to anything, plays a character the likes of which we've never really seen from him before. And both Chan and Brosnan really impress with what they're given. Chan pulls double duty, having to portray the struggle and grief of a father who's just lost his daughter, while also portraying a highly trained veteran who'll stop at nothing to find answers, a la Rambo. Meanwhile Brosnan is so good here he almost manages to steal away the limelight. He walks a line between a tragic and also complicit character. He also has a ton of dramatic, really compelling moments, and he nails each and every one of them.

When I first sat and watched 'The Foreigner', it didn't take me long to figure out why it hadn't been theatrically released in the UK. While this is an action movie, it's also a deeply political dialogue-heavy thriller too and it delves into some very sensitive areas. Let's not forget that 2017 saw a spike in terrorist attacks in the UK. The Westminster and London Bridge attacks, as well as the Manchester Arena bombing were all fresh in people's minds by the time 'The Foreigner' was due for release. Add to that the fact that the film revolves heavily around IRA terrorists, depicts the UK government colluding behind the scenes with these same terrorists, the police using torture as a means of extracting information etc. I'm not one to cry "Censorship!", but it's clear that 'The Foreigner' is dealing with subjects that could ruffle feathers, not to mention being difficult to market.

Although the heavy political angle aids 'The Foreigner' in standing out against other action-revenge thrillers, there's no escaping the fact that as far as narrative's concerned, this is where the film falls short. The whole premise of 'The Foreigner' - a father whose daughter is killed sets out to seek revenge while killing and beating the sh*t out of those who get in his way - does feel like very tried and tested ground by now. Films such as 'Taken', 'John Wick' and many more have followed a very similar structure. It works (of course it does, that's why we see it so often), but there's very little new or innovative about 'The Foreigner' beyond its political ramifications. 

Conventional as the plot may be, something that comes off a lot more fresh and invigorating is the execution, especially during moments of action. As I've mentioned, 'The Foreigner' isn't purely the action-heavy Jackie Chan movie that the trailers sometimes make it out to be. In fact, part of me is tempted to call it more of a political thriller than an action movie. However, when the moments of action do arrive, they don't disappoint. Not only are they well-choreographed, they're realized in a clear, easy-to-follow way thanks to director Martin Campbell. And of course it delivers on another of the film's big draws - getting to see Chan, now in his sixties, still pulling off his own stunts and action work. I've come across plenty of comments that read something like "Jackie Chan vs. a bunch of terrorists? Sign me up!", and I can't lie, these moments are incredibly satisfying to watch. Obviously with age, Chan's fight style is somewhat different from when he was younger, but he certainly hasn't lost it. 

That's pretty much everything I have to say about 'The Foreigner'. I apologize for this review being a little shorter than usual, but there's not much else for me to say. This isn't about to break into many people's Top 10 films of 2017, but it is what it is and that's an enjoyable action thriller. Its greatest strength is its two lead actors getting to play such different, meaty roles than we may usually expect from them. They hit it out of the park. And while the lack of innovation plot-wise holds the film back from greatness, that's not enough to turn me off from it altogether. For those few of us still with our Netflix virginity, 'The Foreigner' may be elusive to find, but is worth the watch. 

The Foreigner

7/10