I was in the mood for some thriller and good action movie and then I saw this movie. I always like to watch Aaron Eckhart films because I enjoy them a lot. His last movie that I watched last year was ’Muzzle (2023)’ which was entertaining and interesting for me.
So in this movie, Aaron Eckhart was paired with Nina Dobrev which was unexpected having those two together. The Duo was averagely good, but I think with more Duos they would develop a stronger chemistry together. They worked together well and I enjoyed their performances.
’The Bricklayer (2024)’ is an action thriller film that is based on a novel with the same title written by Paul Lindsay under his pen name Noah Boyd. This movie was directed by Renny Harlin and written by Hanna Weg and Matt Johnson. The storyline revolves around a brilliant and rebellious retired CIA agent who was called in by the CIA to unmask an international conspiracy that involved his past. This movie starred Aaron Eckhart, Nina Dobrev, Tim Blake Nelson, Ilfenesh Hadera and Clifton Collins Jr.
Little About The Synopsis.
In the first act of this movie, we were introduced to a man, Radek, who met with a very well known journalist to give information that could very well bring ruins to America. During their meeting he decided to murdered the Journalist. The news of the journalist's murder spreads widely across America and the CIA discovers that they were being framed by Radek who was supposed to be dead and killed by Vail, their retired agent for the death of journalist.
On the other hand, the CIA contacts Vail (Aaron Eckhart) who is a rebellious retired CIA agent to look into the matter of the recent killings of journalists by Radek. The perpetrator of the murders of the journalists was first uncovered by Kate (Nina) who is also a CIA agent. To uncover these international crimes by Radek, Vail’s old boss Tim gave the order that Vail and Kate work on the case together on the field. Vail had to live his present life as a bricklayer behind.
So when Vail and Kate got to Greece where they suspected Radek would be found. Vail then located his old contacts so as to assist him with the mission but everything became worse and more violent when they began to uncover more plans by Radek. Still Radek seems to be untouchable as he continues to to evade them. Will Vail end this conspiracy?
My Review And Rating.
This movie would have been an amazing film if the production crew had settled down to actually work on every aspect of this movie properly. However, this movie still entertained me and it was a fun watch for me.
The plot of this movie was well written but I can't say if it was adapted well from its book. From the plot, there was old school action, good thrilling scenes and it was entertaining. The only thing I think the plot of this movie doesn't have is suspense and tension. It was missing hence why a lot of viewers complained about the movie being cliché and bland. It wasn't able to engage the mind of the audience with twists and turns.
The Cast was good. Aaron Eckhart was the star of this movie apart from the antagonist. He carried his role well with good charisma and zeal. He was a good lead character. On the other hand, Nina Dobrev didn't blend well with her role. It seemed she was struggling with her role as a CIA agent. Also, her chemistry with Aaron seemed raw, like they both were yet to get used to each other.
Also we have Clifton Collins Jr. Who played the role of the villain. He was an amazing villain who was sneaky, and intelligent. He acted his role well and he was one of the actors that made this movie thrilling to watch. He brought the energy, chaos, and the vibe. He was good!
The action scenes were excellently created. It was original in a way I have never seen before. There were no gimmicks during the action scenes. No film tricks stuff. It was fully packed with bone crunching fights, flesh piercing, averagely good gunfights and good powered car chases. The only problem I have with the action scenes was, the camera work seemed rushed and was not good. There was no wide range capture.
The scene arrangements were okay and the cinematography was fantastic. I love all the location scenery. It was beautiful and appealing to look at because it set the mood for the movie. The visuals were also clear and colorful.
The directorial style was good and unique even with old school action scenes it was still different. Did I enjoy this movie? Yes I did. It was also entertaining but I only wish that the movie was packed with suspense.
Rating this movie, I will give it 7 out of 10 stars. I recommend you watch this movie without reading any spoilers or negative reviews. Watch it with an open mind.
All images above are from the movie screenshots
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