This is a cool little movie. I was predisposed to liking it I guess, because it stars the utterly luscious and swoonsome Benicio Del Toro, a man upon whom I can happily feast my eyes!
However, to reduce Del Toro to mere eye candy would be to do him an injustice. He is a terrific and charismatic actor, and he is super in this film. The other main star is Tommy Lee Jones – another man who can make a film worth watching just by being in it. They both bring their characters to life, and make them easy to believe and invest in.
The premise of the movie is that Aaron Hallam (Del Toro), A decorated US Special Forces Operative, has gone on a murderous rampage, seemingly without motive, and Lieutenant Bonham (Jones) is the man reluctantly brought out of retirement to hunt this killer down. Bonham is the man who trained Hallam and turned him into the killing machine that he now is, and probably has a better idea of his mindset than anyone. However, Hallam is also able to correctly anticipate Bonham’s methods.
The chase takes place through the woods and through a city, and there are many great action scenes in this film. It is a pretty straightforward thriller, although Hallam’s state of mind is never fully explained (is he mad, or is he bad)? And what are the reasons for his rampage?
Two great stars elevate this from good to great!
Year of release: 2003
Director: William Friedkin
Writers: David Griffiths, Peter Griffiths, Art Monterastelli
Main cast: Benicio Del Toro, Tommy Lee Jones, Connie Nielsen
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