The Foreigner Movie Review

Released: 18th December 2017 (UK on Netflix only)

Length: 114 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Martin Campbell

Starring: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Liu Tao, Michael McElhatton, Orla Brady, Katie Leung, Ray Fearon, Lia Williams, Charlie Murphy, Niall McNamee and Simon Kunz

Jackie Chan is one of the most recognisable names in martial arts cinema, but very rarely have we seen him move away from that persona to tackle a more serious production. In 2017, his match arrived; released on Netflix as opposed to theatrical, The Foreigner is an earnest effort all around.

Based on Stephen Leather’s “The Chinaman”, The Foreigner concerns a new string of bombings from the nationalistic Irish Republic Army, who resurface in London after two decades of absence. With the peace accords at risk, a rapid round of negotiations and a hunt for the perpetrators ensues with Irish Minister and former Ulster loyalist Liam Hennessey (Pierce Brosnan) and the London police led by Commader Bromley (Ray Fearon) on hand. But caught in the middle is the quiet, unassuming Ngoc Minh Quan (Jackie Chan), who seeks revenge for the death of his daughter. The film kickstarts the proceedings immediately with a frighteningly brutal bombing in London and efficiently sets Quan on his path of revenge. From here, it’s a tautly paced thriller with Quan hounding the tight-lipped Hennessy at every turn and tracking down those responsible; the film cuts between three perspectives, delivering some background on each throughout the proceedings. The film’s source material is unflinching, particularly for UK and Irish audiences in that it often becomes a vivid portrayal of what would happen if the Good Friday Agreement with Northern Ireland was to fail. The Foreigner gains much of its impact on this level and heightens the tension to a relentless peak in the final act; it’s only issue is the somewhat unbalanced focus on the three perspectives. There’s a moment halfway where Quan briefly disappears from the story which could have been better balanced out to further explore his backstory.

The main cast of The Foreigner provides a very potent mix for dramatic tension and what makes the two performances so great is that Chan and Brosnan are playing the opposites of their typical roles; Jackie Chan’s more laidback heroic persona is set aside here for an older more grizzled man who talks little but does plenty over the course of the film to seek revenge. On top of that, his age marks a greater vulnerability than any of his previous films. Pierce Brosnan, normally remembered for his tenure as the smooth James Bond, plays a secretive and sly political figure, desperately trying to keep his violent past wandering out into the open. The ways the two play off each other are equally brilliant; both men have been involved in violent conflict but took different paths to escape from it, making for an intriguing dynamic. The side characters mostly go for elements of authenticity; both Commander Bromley and the overseeing MP Katherine Davies (Lia Williams) succeed in this regard while also highlighting the delicate nature of the peace accords. However, the antagonists outside of Hennessey, specifically the perpetrators of the bombings played by Irish actors Niall McNamee and Charlie Murphy among others are undeveloped, mostly sticking to the side-lines as the Quan and the police forces close in; with the film already grounded in a very grim subject matter, it could have done more to explain how and why the younger individuals were drawn to the IRA’s cause, particularly as a generation who lived outside of The Troubles. This may have been too controversial and provocative to include.

The Foreigner is well-helmed as a technical production with Martin Campbell again showing his prowess for directing gritty action. Despite the somewhat unbalanced narrative, the rapid cuts between Quan, the police and the IRA during the action have a strong flow, while also highlighting the different operational procedures between the factions. The same holds true for the action itself, which thanks to Chan helming some of the production is excellently choreographed and shot, but it also features a helping of dramatic tension with Quan’s older age putting him at odds with Hennessy’s pursuing henchmen. The soundtrack mostly features a range of modern techno beats to add a punchy feel to the action, with a couple of more emotive tracks here and there to build up some internal tension within the characters.

With two excellent performances from Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, The Foreigner is a highly effective thriller, taking a difficult subject matter and applying the same visceral grit and paranoia that hung over both Ireland and England decades ago. If you can stomach the hard-hitting subject matter, I urge you not to miss it.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)