6 DAYS (Theatrical Release Indonesia 2017)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

6 Days—based on true events—features Actors Ben Turner, Jamie Bell, and Mark Strong to tell its 1980s hostage story. This should have been a straight forward, easy story to put on the screen because there is no lack of tension in the real-life version of events. It’s worth a watch, but at times the tension flags and there are bits of slowness that flicker in and out of many of the scenes.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Salim (Ben Turner) takes hostages in London’s Iran Embassy and negotiates terms for release of 91 people held in an Iranian prison in exchange for his hostages’ lives.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Toa Fraser for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Nate Bolotin, Andrew Boswell, Ian Dawson, Peter Hampden, Glenn Standring, Aram Tertzakian, Andrea Scarso, Norman Humphrey, Norman Merry, Gavin Poolman, Andrea Scarso for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Rusty Firmin (Jamie Bell), Max Vernon (Mark Strong), Kate Adie (Abbie Cornish), Dellow (Martin Shaw), Roy (Emun Elliott), Faisal (Aymen Hamdouchi), Ray (Andrew Grainger), John Mac (Colin Garlick), Tak (Te Kohe Tuhaka), and MI5 Spokesman (William Chubb).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a good watch for its historical significance; but, a better choice is Ben Affleck’s Argo.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì Flags of Our Fathers—odd presentation—lacks cohesion with its 'all- over-the-place' story, little to no character development, and suitable but not great acting. Despite the hard-to-follow story, expect good fight scenes and highly graphic portrayal of war wounds.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Three men receive praise for raising a USA flag during World War II as a symbol of a great victory.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Clint Eastwood for his directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Lorenz for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: John Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), Keyes Beech (John Benjamin Hickey), Bud Gerber (John Slattery), Mike Strank (Barry Pepper), Ralph Ignatowski (Jamie Bell), Hank Hansen (Paul Walker), and Colonel Chandler Johnson (Robert Patrick).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It is an okay watch but hard to follow with a 'messy' storyline. This Clint Eastwood film has a counterpart made by Clint Eastwood called Letters from Iwo Jima about the Japanese side of the story that is a much better made film than this film.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers