| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A- |
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Firewall Delivers
by KAT (movies profile)
May 7, 2008
14
of
20 people found this review helpful
Harrison Ford and Paul Bettany deliver outstanding performances in Firewall. While the plot is hardly new, Ford steps into it like a comfortable pair of old shoes. After all, he is reprising similar characters of films past.
Bettany reunites with director Richard Loncraine; they both collaborated in 2004's Wimbledon. Bettany is expanding his career and shedding any stereotypes by taking on challenging adversarial roles. He's also appearing as Silas the Albino in this year's The Da Vinci Code.
I would like to see Bettany take on lead roles in the future, featuring him as the good guy. He was charming and charismatic in both Wimbledon and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. His role as Chaucer in A Knight's Tale was my first time to view Bettany, and I took note then to keep an eye out for his future work.
Firewall doesn't leave you feeling like any of the scenes should have been left on the editor's floor. The action is tight and cohesive, and all the actors move in a synergistic choreography.
The only flaw I can find in Firewall is the casting. While Ford and Bettany both give outstanding performances, it seems that Ford is getting a bit long in the tooth to play the father of a teenager and a younger child. (He was born the same year as my parents, and my children are both in their twenties.) Ford takes quite a beating in the final tête-à-tête; the contrast between the two's ages is clearly shown in this scene.
Excellent movie! I'll be adding this to my collection when it is released to DVD. |
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