Z/Web

I had little idea what to expect: somehow I’d gotten the impression this was an action flick, which quickly proved wrong as there isn’t even a gunshot until the ninety-minute mark. That disappointed me, but the climax sort of made up for that. The story is frightfully simple: there’s a civil war in Nigeria, with rebels taking over the government and performing “ethnic cleansing” on innocent civilians. A small team of soldiers led by Bruce Willis is sent in to rescue a female doctor from a small mission that’s in the path of the rebel army. But she insists on bringing the mission’s Africans with her. Bruce violates his orders to help the natives escape, leading them on a trek through the jungle to safety in Cameroon 40 miles south. But following them is a troop of 300 rebel soldiers, and the shoot-em-up climax is surprisingly dramatic. That’s pretty much the movie: no real surprises, no unusual plot twists, and a few moments of realistic and gritty action. But somehow it works. On paper I’d have said it was weak, but seeing it, it works. The relationship between the doctor and Bruce is fascinating, with them battling wills and exchanging thoughtful glances. Bruce’s military poker face compared with the woman’s passion is a great foil, and we really can’t tell what either are thinking inside. What also impressed me was the acting and focus on the Africans. In many rescue films like this the mass of innocents are a faceless group (usually represented by one heart-breaking child who dies tragically) with no personality. Here we actually get to meet some of these men and women, see them struggle, weep, and carry on, and there are some really great moments between them and the soldiers. They are brilliantly humanized, like in the moment when one of the American soldiers, a black man, tells Bruce, “These are my people too.” It’s more than him just recognizing his historical background, it’s him recognizing himself in these people. The film’s slow to get going, and there isn’t a lot beyond the bare plot, but it’s a heroic story where the African people come across as heroes just as much as do the American soldiers. I especially liked one scene where an African woman, after her husband is shot, takes up a fallen bad guy’s gun and uses it to fight. It’s quick moment but it embodies the spirit of the African people (and the American Revolution). Excellent, but go with caution and don’t expect much. This is the kind of film that can easily be overhyped. Think simple and you won’t be disappointed.