CRIMINAL
US, 2016, 113 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Ryan Reynolds, Jordi Molla, Gal Gadot, Michael Pitt, Alice Eve, Anje Traue.
Directed by Ariel Vroman.
Criminal is an intriguing CIA story, an American story but with a London setting.
The film begins excitingly with an agent on a mission to find an IT expert, The Dutchman (Michael Pitt) who is willing to sell his expertise, possibilities of weapons sabotage, to a respectable-seeming anarchist (Jordi Molla).
Unexpectedly, the agent is taken, tortured, left for dead but not having revealed his secrets. And, again unexpectedly, contact is made with a doctor (Tommy Lee Jones) who has been experimenting on transferring knowledge from one brain to another. (Ryan Reynolds appeared in a film with a similar theme, Self-less, where he was the recipient of the brain of a dying millionaire).
The person chosen to be the recipient of the memories is a hardened criminal, played very effectively by Kevin Costner. While he retains his own identity, he begins to be aware of the memories of the agent, and being guided in his behaviour by these memories. They include going to visit the agent’s wife (Gal Gadot) and make friends with his daughter.
The head of the CIA in London is played, rather frantically, by Gary Oldman.
The criminal is able to evade detection but is still compelled to fulfil his mission, tracking down the Dutchman, encountering the anarchist once again and, seeming to lose out to him yet again – although the anarchist in his eagerness to have the secrets and put them into practice is destroyed by his own ego.
The plot is interesting, the pace quick, and a rather starry cast gives impressive performances.
1. The title and expectations? The focus?
2. CIA story, conspiracy theories? World War III and world domination?
3. The London settings, the streets, underground, senior officers, offices, support? CIA action? The musical score?
4. The conspiracy, Heimdorf and his television interview, personality, plans, urging revolution? His contact with the Dutchman? The contacts, the testing of the missile, the power for destruction?
5. Bill Pope as agent, his deal, contact with the Dutchman, collecting the money and passport, his contacts, the CIA surveillance, tracking him all over London, his ability to elude his pursuers, phoning his wife, his being captured, tortured by Heimdorf and his associate, the electric current, his death, not giving any information?
6. Wells, in charge of the CIA in London, his desperation about the plan, about Pope’s death? His extensive staff, the screens and cameras, following Pope? The timeline?
7. Dr Franks, his experiments, the pressure on him, introduction to Jerico, his criminal background, personality, no emotions, the deterioration of his brain? As a candidate for the experiment, the preparation, his reactions, the surgery? The role of Dr Franks?
8. The result, the seeming failure, Wells and his impatience? Jerico and the flashes from Pope? The growing influence, memories, information? Jerico retaining his personality but influenced by Pope and his memories?
9. The result of the experiment, control over Pope? His escape, going to action, his brute force and strength, his pain, the need for medication, the role of the doctor? His learning more and more about the mission? Going to visit Jill and the daughter, her fears? Reaction?
10. His later return, his knowledge about Jill, the daughter and her liking him, playing with him, the effect?
11. The Dutchman, his personality, background, knowledge, IT expertise? The deals, the threats? Heimdorf and his pursuit? Selling the experiment? The missile, being launched, Portugal and the submarine? The confusion? The missile exploding? The CIA watching? Heimdorf and the confrontation with the Dutchman? His death?
12. Wells, the staff, with Jerico? The attacks, his eluding pursuit? Driving the car, the deaths? The helicopter pursuit?
13. Jerico, Pope’s knowledge, his pursuit, the confrontation with the doctor, the Dutchman, the crashes, deaths? Pope and his ideas? The buildup to the finale, the CIA assistant, the shooting and her death? Heidorf, the confrontation, the plane? The missile and its returning and exploding the plane? His death?
14. Jerico, the finale, the fading of memories, the image of the beach and his wanting to go there, the wife and daughter, Jerico indicating the sign with his nose that he still had some of Pope’s memories?
15. Popular espionage – plus?
