Man On Fire

Man on Fire - Where do I start?

This movie is definitely on my films of the year list as Tony Scott delivers a production of great power and uncompromising vision. With a lead actor who is willing to take risks, Denzel delivers a career best performance as Creasy the troubled bodyguard to a Mexican family who struggle to keep their daughter safe in the country where kidnapping is a daily occurrence.

As the film opens you say to yourself “I’m going to enjoy this” but after it finishes you don’t realise just how much it has consumed you with such emotion over the previous two and a half hours. Relentless with its execution and realistic without the Hollywood sheen, it manages to fire you up in your seat.

Denzel Washington post Oscar has chosen well with this, and Manchurian Candidate to follow proves his standing in the circles of leading men. Tony Scott (as he did in Crimson Tide) taps the best out of him as Creasy, controlled by alcohol (Creasy, not Tony) and with no care of life, he meets Pita the small girl he’s employed to protect. Pita’s family are connected in Mexico - and a family of wealth is a target as the bounty can run into the millions - so Creasy is trusted to keep her safe.

This is where the film begins as the two main characters bond and Pita helps Creasy come out of his shell and survive the bottle. He becomes the parent she is wants for, but things get flipped on their head as corruption and deceit rear their ugly head and all that is on Creasy’s mind is revenge and redemption.

Without including major spoilers, I don’t want to say anymore. All I do say is you must see it to find out what happens because what follows is terrific stuff.

With a back catalogue better than most, Tony Scott’s latest is one of his best (and that is some statement coming from the man who shaped my movie going in the 80’s and 90’s with Top Gun, True Romance, Crimson Tide and Enemy Of The State to name but a few) and here he delivers once again. Style is apparent from frame one and his final cut is what is on screen as the filters and hand held camera are reminiscent of Traffic or 24’s last series.

Some may criticise the script being too ‘Bruckheimer’ in places but I love all that as it just adds to the cinematic feel. The rest of the cast are all great with Christopher Walken rising to the top as Creasy’s best buddy who brings him into the job and little Dakota Fanning who in the past has been so wrong in her films, here she actually keeps this film together and comes across as Jodie Foster did in Taxi Driver (yes as good as that!) stealing the show.

Man on Fire is a truly great film that will go down as a classic in my house - one to watch again and then to buy on DVD - this kind of film doesn’t come around too often. Violent and graphic might turn some people off, but at times you need to show that to get the point across and here it adds to the intensity as the fire burns…

Go and see it as it demands your attention…

5/5