One of my favorite plays is "The Foreigner." It's about a shy man who pretends to be a foreigner so he won't have to converse with the people where he is staying. Consequently he learns a lot of big secrets!

 

Imagine my dismay when I discovered that this one is an R-rated Action/Thriller directed by Martin Campbell ("Casino Royale"). Then I found out it is produced by, and stars, Jackie Chan, so my hopes went back up again. Chan plays the father of a girl we see killed in a Radical bombing in the very beginning. It seems The Troubles haven't gone away after all. 

 

Part of Campbell's cast:

 

• * Jackie Chan ("Railroad Tigers") is Quan Ngoc Minh, the grieving father. He leaves his restaurant to a co-worker and sets out to discover who set the bomb that killed her. I like seeing a smart person in action.
• * Katie Leung ("Harry Potter") This Scottish-born actress plays Fan, his beloved daughter.
• * Pierce Brosnan ("The Only Living Boy in New York") Government official Liam Hennessy may know something that will help.
• * Orla Brady (Lots of TV) Mary is his wife. Her family has suffered its own losses.
• * Charlie Murphy ("Philomena") Maggie is Hennessy's audacious daughter.
• * Rufus Jones (Lots of TV) is Ian, who takes the phone call notifying the public of the Radicals' involvement.
• * Rory Fleck Byrne (Lots of TV) Sean is Liam's handsome nephew. He comes to help.

 

 

Though it was refreshing to see Chan in this type of role, this one really belongs to Brosnan. He is the better actor, so Chan has wisely given him the lion's share of screen time. He shares the central spotlight with Chan as he discovers what a worthy opponent this shadowy man can be; AND he is responsible for most of the F-bombs that are launched. 

 

This is R-rated, so expect gunfire, profanity, sweaty bodies, fisticuffs and blowie uppie stuff. All the elements that make a hit these days. Our screening audience applauded the satisfying ending and we left the theater happy.

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See what you think:
http://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi3973167385
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