Syracuse, NY — Lebron James and Steven A. Younger are from Akron, Ohio–the rubber city. James is a basketball superstar who used to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Younger is a terrorist who used to be in the military. On July 8, both men had my undivided attention.
ESPN swooned over James as he held a press conference to announce where he was going to play next season in the NBA. I’ll spare you the pomp and circumstance, it will be for the Miami Heat. ESPN and James called the special press conference “The Decision.” That’s really all I know. I turned the TV off after James uttered the words “South Beach.” As a New York Knicks fan, the whole thing made my stomach turn. The only remedy was “Unthinkable,” a haunting film about torture, humanity and destruction.
Michael Sheen plays Yusuf, formerly Steven Younger, an ex-military bomb specialist and American Muslim who has hidden nuclear bombs around the United States. Instead of running, Yusuf allows himself to be captured and brutally tortured by Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Henry H. Humphries (also know as H), a black ops interrogator. The clocks are ticking and Humphries must take desperate measures to save millions of Americans.
“Unthinkable” has the intensity of “The Negotiator” the violence of “Hostel” and the artistry of “Spy Game.” Sheen, who has starred in “Frost/Nixon” and “The Damned United,” is in peak form. Even though he spends more than 90 percent of the film strapped to a chair, Sheen is magnanimous and resilient. Jackson is also very good. Even though the role is nothing new for the 61-year-old actor, he embraces the madness. Because you never find out who Jackson really is, you never know what he is capable of.
Australian director Gregor Jordan, director of “Buffalo Soldier,” has put together a film worth the $1.08 at Redbox. Although the ending was not as conversation provoking as “Shutter Island,” it will give you reason to stop and wonder.
Don’t think twice about renting “Unthinkable.” It is a great film. Just a word of caution, it earned its R rating.
- east coast paper boy
Tags: basketball, blood, ESPN, film review, frost/nixon, gregor jordan, Henry H. Humphries, hostel, knicks, LeBron James, miami, michael sheen, movie review, movies, nba, new york, ny, redbox, spy game, Steven Arthur Younger, syracuse, terrorism, the decision, thriller, torture, unthinkable
The most underrated movie in 2009.