Review of The Peacemaker (1997) by Wesley M — 20 Jul 2010

This is a high-minded, well made thrill that might have done better to leave out a few of its action scenes.

By definition this must be considered a political thriller, but it betrays its desire to be a more standard action flick with some James Bondish scenes that don't serve much purpose but to relieve boredome or something.

The movie is plenty entertaining without those scenes, let that be made clear. The plot is interesting and intricate without being unnecessarily complicated. The story unfolds and the truth is revealed in its own good time, enough to keep the tension high and the audience mystified but quick enough that the audience isn't distracted.

Clooney and Kidman give performances that you'd expect from actors of their caliber, and the casting choices for the villains in this piece are pretty much spot on for the roles they play. The script is very functional and realistic, but lacks much nuance or fun. This movie takes itself very seriously, you see, which is why its strange when it puts out some decidedly non-serious sequences.

There are no less than two scenes where Kidman and Clooney take a running leap away from an explosion, one of which is through a Stained-Glass Window. One of the explosions is set off by sparks from the rim of a car tire that Clooney used in a car chase.

The only action sequence that really works for this film is the extended sequence at the end, a frantic chase to find a man with the bomb. Its such a good sequence that I'd rather not spoil any of it here, except to say that it culminates in the aforementioned leap through a stained glass window.

There are definitely better thrillers out there, but this one delivers some real heart and is much less heavy handed except when it tries to be. Its a good film to see if you haven't already.