Visitors Review

Bollywood_Stoolsoftener (2012-05-26 04:56)

The tea party movement really isn't helping

Unthinkable is a not very satisfying variation on the old "good guy""bad guy" cop interrogation story theme. I totally advocates thehypothesis that modern Humans are the result of genetic intervention byGreys from another star system, and believes that there has been asustained program to crossbreed Greys and Humans over the centuries.The Mexico Starchild skull constitutes empirical evidence in support ofmy standpoint.I believe a lot of Western movie-watchers miss the point of Bollywood.If it's realism you want, watch the "Apu" trilogy, "Earth," "SalaamBombay" or "Fire," The typical image of a Grey, given that it wouldhave evolved on a world with different environmental and ecologicalconditions from Earth, is too physiologically similar to a human to becredible as a representation of an alien.The physical appearance of a Grey does not represent a real flesh andblood creature, but that it is instead a byproduct of the humanimagination. With the Grey's most distinctive features representingeverything that modern humans traditionally link with intelligence.³The aliens, however, do not just appear as humans, they appear likehumans with those traits we psychologically associate with intelligenceIf you were to plot the physical differences between an Tea Bagger anda human, and then were then to apply these differences directly to ahuman model, the resulting human would strongly resemble a Grey. Thisis a great movie but it will be a little much for the "light weights"as you can tell by some of the reviews. Samuel Jackson does it againwith his hard playing and tough roles.Bollywood is for light, escapist entertainment, and as such,Unthinkable is a violent, intelligent, suspense "mystery" of sorts.Greys, along with many paranormal myths and legends throughout history,are the telepathic manifestation of the collective consciousness of acommunity or culture. He proposes that the physical form of the Grey isthat of a malnourished human being, not an alien, and that Greys may bea manifestation of guilt felt by the developed world over the plight ofthe developing world. Doesn't feel like a Hollywood movie at all,nostupid happy endings and snot bubbles.

(2012-05-25 16:14)

Definitely food for thought but very hard (for me) to watch

This review is from: Unthinkable (DVD) The situation: Nuclear bombs are planted in at least three American cities and a terrorist has decided he will endure any torture, if necessary, to stick to his beliefs. Samuel Jackson plays H, a man who is willing to do just about anything to get information from the terrorist. Things become very bloody and very gory quite quickly. Before describing this movie any further, I need to be clear that if you have ANY difficulty watching graphic portrayals of a man being tortured...you will definitely have issues with this one. Whether you can stand to watch the movie or not, at least think about what levels of torture you would find acceptable to save lives. Not every single detail of the torture is shown but there is enough to be quite graphic, along with the screams of a man in deep pain. It is very easy to imagine exactly what is being done...even when it isn't shown. Helen Brody, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, balances out H's commitment to full scale torture. She is horrified by how the terrorist is treated but also has to question her values as time goes on.When the movie ended, I confess that I said, "Wait! Is that the ending? They left it like THIS?!"That ought to tell you that this isn't one of those movies where every last detail is nicely explained and packed in a fine, neat ending with a moral or message with a capital "M". You aren't pounded over the head with any meaning. However, after I got over my initial disappointment (after all, I'd watched all those torture scenes and that is NOT my cup of tea), I started to realize how the ending made sense. My take is that this movie is meant to get people thinking how far they would be willing to go to potentially save lives. Also at stake: how useful is torture in getting the truth out of the tortured? What toll does it take on those who are torturers? How do people who have a strong distaste of certain types of torture react when they have to question their deepest beliefs? In spite of my strong reaction to the ending, this movie did leave me thinking about it for days so that could be reason enough to see it. Samuel L. Jackson gives a very strong performance and the woman who plays his wife (can't recall the name of that actress) has one powerful moment where I believe she makes Helen Brody realize that life is far more complex than Brody ever realized. I may not be remembering these words perfectly but Brody doesn't hide her disgust when she asks H's wife something like "How can you justify what he does? How can you accept him?" The wife explains her side of things and Brody is forced to think beyond "good" and "evil" and truly wonder what needs to be done to keep the country safe. At least, she starts down the path of doubt. I related strongly to the characters and wish I hadn't assumed that the ending would be so pat. If you want a suspense movie that makes you think, try this one. If you like to know exactly "what happens next?" the ending may leave you feeling let down. It left me feeling that way. But the movie still haunted me.

tonynworah (2012-05-25 03:10)

Fantastic Torture

Unthinkable is a disturbing and thought provoking film with one moralquestion. How far can we go to save lives? Can we murder a fewinnocents to save a greater number of innocents? It was this idea thatthis entertaining film explores throughout. Samuel L Jackson is theinterrogator that has been directed to extract information (By anymeans possible) from a terrorist as to the location of three nuclearbombs which are about to go off in 72 hours in three different citiesin US.As usual, his acting is superb, even though a bit over the topsometimes.Carrie Moss puts in a fine restrained performance as the FBI agentwhose integrity concerns about torture (even for the purpose of thegreater good)are put to the test.But the stand out is Michael Sheen. He plays the prisoner responsiblefor the nuclear bombs or (are there really nuclear bombs?). Hisphysical and mental agony were phenomenal.I've never seen such intenseacting from him before and he deserves an Oscar nod. Sometimes, youhate him, or pity him or both at the same time.Liberals may condemn the film as glorifying torture but it does not. Itjust bring out all those points and make the audience decide forthemselves. It was really amusing how those in charge would protestJackson's "H"'s methods but would not try to stop him, and would evenencourage him sometimes. Even the moral indignant Moss fell victim tothat at some time. This roller coaster relationship kept on until Hwanted to do the unthinkable when they were dangerously running out oftime.This is a fantastic movie which must be watched. I myself was facedwith the question. How far will I go to save my loved ones or amultitude of people? Will I turn into a monster that these normal menforced by circumstances turned into? I don't know. And I wish I neverdo.

(2012-05-24 21:52)

May Allah Bless America

Samuel L. Jackson does things in this movie that would make Jack Bauer blush. As an aspiring screenwriter, I have to admit that I was impressed with how the writers were able to tackle the topics of terrorism and torture with new ideas. Karie Ann Moss says something towards the end that I think has never been said in a movie like this. Once scene had me jumping out of my seat when I realized what would happen next; the unthinkable. I read the review by Mr. Steele and I think he thoroughly explained what the movie is about. He also adds in his two cents about how the US is really supporting dictators in the Middle East and how this may, in reality, lead to terrorism. I would also like to add to the list of things that upset Muslims; the biased support of Israel. One only needs to listen to the comments by Vice President Biden who after the killing of unarmed civilians by Israel on one of the fleet of ships sending aid to Gaza, said that an investigation needs to be done "by Israel." This is unacceptable to many people who are not even Muslim so can you can imagine the feelings that Muslims themselves have about blind U.S. support to Israel. I think that the acting in this movie is superb and if it was associated with the 24 series, I am sure it would have made a lot more money. I do not recommend you watch this movie around children because there are a lot of curse words that are said infrequently so you will not know when to press the mute button. I would like to clarify something that was not clear in the movie. The Bosnian woman who said she was raped did not clarify if she was a Muslim or a Christian. Since a Muslim is the villain in the movie, people may assume that Muslims were raping Christians in Bosnia when the reverse is true. Christian Serbian militias in Bosnia introduced a campaign to rape Muslim women and forced them to give birth to the children and they even had rape camps where the sole duty of the soldiers was to rape Muslim women. This is according to the International Criminal Tribunal done after the war. I don't blame Christianity or Christians for what the soldiers did to those women and I hope people do not blame Muslims for what some Muslims are willing to do to innocent people.My first screenplay will be different than this movie but will have some of the themes that it deals with. You can google my last name and triggerstreet if you are interested in reading it.

(2012-05-24 12:11)

Major Disappointment

I had high hopes for this one, with Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Sheenin it it had to be good. Sadly, I was very much mistaken.Jackson plays a professional torturist (I hope that is a word) who byunbelievable coincidence is called in to conduct the brutalinterrogation of a Muslim man (Sheen) who has supposedly planted threebombs in three major cities. In the mix is Carrie Anne Moss, a, FBIagent who is sympathetic with Sheen, and doesn't want to see himtortured. (?) This was lousy. The script was lousy, the acting, withthe exception of Sheen, was lousy, and the whole thing just feltrushed. It was only occasionally suspenseful, and the characters wereboring and one dimensional. (Again, with the exception of Sheen)Michael Sheen was the only good performance here. The legendary SamuelL. Jackson just seemed bored, for which I could relate. Carrie AnneMoss, who's never turned in a good performance anyway, was irritatingand unneeded.Skip this one. I wish I had.

(2012-05-23 20:48)

Worst ending ever!

This review is from: Unthinkable (Amazon Instant Video) The movie was good until the last 5 minutes. It had an intesting twist, but the worst ending ever!

Tom_vdl (2012-05-23 07:23)

Pushing the limits into the unthinkable

Which seemed to be a cliché terrorism movie at first, turned out to bea surprisingly strong psychological thriller. Let me start of withgetting a few things straight for people who haven't seen it or jumpedto conclusions way to fast: This movie isn't about terrorism, it isn'tabout Muslims and it isn't about America. This movie is about theborder between good and evil. How far can a human go to save liveswithout becoming a villain himself? how much pain can a human beinginflict to another and still be justified? to put it simply: where isthe border between right and wrong? When terrorist Steven ArthurYounger (Michael Sheen) plants 3 nuclear bombs in major U.S. cities aspecialist, played by Samual L. Jackson, is called in to interrogatethe terrorist in order to find the locations of the bombs. Accompaniedby FBI agent Helen Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss) a suspenseful mind gamebetween the 3 character begins. Where other movies and series stick toa simple ''hurt the villain, get info or else threaten his loved ones''concept, this movie dares to take it a little further and the thin linebetween hero and villain starts to fade away. Because of this the moviebecomes unpredictable toward the end, as the viewer no longer knowswhich ending is the ''good'' one.Although the movie is shocking, it never get's really messy and thefocus lies upon the characters rather than the violence. EspeciallyMichael Sheen sets a great performance as the terrorist, he'sbelievable and will even get you to feel sorry for him even though heplans to kill millions of people.Unthinkable is a non-stop suspenseful movie which will keep you at theedge of your seat till the very end and will make you think about itlong after. Easily one of the best psychological thrillers of the lastfew years.

VanManster (2012-05-22 19:28)

The Cinematic Equivalent of Velveeta

I can see why people have convinced themselves Unthinkable is betterthan it is. If it starts conversations about a timely topic it must bea good film, right? No actually. Even a poorly constructed and executedmovie about a controversial issue can potentially provide the impetusfor a subsequent conversation. That this implausible shambles of a filmprovoked as much buzz as it has merely tells you that how torture isviewed is hotly contested and unresolved, nothing more. Terribledialog. Painful at times. Not sure why someone would think otherwise.Also, a highly predictable and paper-thin plot. I'm willing to suspenddisbelief if there is a good reason (like entertainment). Totallylacking here. Finally (though I could list other flaws if I felt likeputting the energy in) the admittedly decent acting skills of certainof the leads were wasted on poorly drawn and unsympathetic characters.Check out Fail Safe or the original Manchurian Candidate if you want adecent political thriller.

cnrathi (2012-05-22 06:44)

This will test your moral boundaries...will leave you in awe

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It tested my moralboundary. I am not reviewer and neither do I usually write comments,but this one was so compelling that I had to write something.It will make you think... What is right? What is wrong? How would youdefine that? This American movie is asking question from its very ownAmerican audience... what is US doing.It has a very very strong message. Find the message.Acting from all the actors is great. Direction is good. Setting isreal. Characters are real.Samuel Jackson did good and looked very real.The antagonist or shall we say protagonist? is awesome.So are other actors.

nielsdiving (2012-05-22 00:29)

Motive anyone?

Everybody here reviewing the movie seems to make the same mistake as weall do in our daily lives. We immediately take sides based on theinformation we are given and our morals and values. We then quicklychange sides based on new information (f.e. from the media) or stretchout values. Currently the world phases some real larger then lifeproblems which we try to oversimplify with our discussion of what isright or wrong and on which side are you? The real question is never asked (not in the movie and not in reallife). We quickly come with solutions without actually diagnosing theproblem. The real question for everybody: What is actually the motive of aformer US soldier for doing all this? He clearly states that he wantedto be caught and face his oppressors. But why? What does he gain? Heknew he was going to be tortured out of sight of public by some puppetson strings (he has seen this in war and on TV). His demands which hedid not give are basically irrelevant for the interrogators and theydon't even bother asking him about them. Not hindered by any knowledge of psychology I am going to try toanalyze this main character in the movie a bit. It is easy to focus onthe A-list Jackson and Moss characters battling on the screen aboutright and wrong and morals and values. But this focus on the wrongplayers and questions is actually the point of the movie. MY ANALYSIS BELOW DOES NOT STATE THAT I AGREE WITH YOUNGERS ACTIONS IJUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MOVIE WANTS TO SAY. The guy is a former soldier who has seen a lot during active duty inthe Middle East. He knows the tactics of the US army on possibleterrorists. He has actually been part and supported the "solution" formany years. But what he has done also is actually trying to understandthe "enemy". He learned their languages, fell in love and married aMuslim woman and even converted to the religion. He knows that allMuslim are suspect (even if they were US soldiers) and his backgroundmakes him a believable terrorist. This puts him in the perfect positionto make his point. The actual point the movie tries to make is this: Whatever we do theiris no real security and our methods for securing are not working. TheBrody character is sitting in an office analyzing possible terrorists.However while being on the board of suspects they could not preventYounger to become a real danger. The methods used to interrogatepossible terrorist suspects cannot prevail any country to be safe. Hstates that everybody breaks (and probably Younger thought theunthinkable could break him that is why he has build in a safety bomband still wins). What Younger wants seems a reasonable demand. The US(the country he loves) to retreat from supporting fake regimes (anothertactic used to keep us safe and secure) and withdraw from Muslimcountries. In fact that is basically the motive behind most terroristattacks by Muslims. They want the West to stop controlling theirterritories and culture. Younger knows of course although it soundsreasonable (why does it sound reasonable coming from Younger mostpeople agree in the reviews and not from Abdul or Mohammed?) that hisdemands are not being made. That is why he goes on with his calculatedplan and has a bomb explode in the final end showing the government ina drastic way his point. Whatever the good cop or bad cop did theycould not prevent the final outcome. Their and our government tacticsare not working to keep us safe and we are actually losing our moralsand values along the way. Nice detail is that the terrorist does notkill any of his oppressors while he has a chance but just pleads a veryhuman demand to the moral Brody to look after his kids.

d-lewis476 (2012-05-20 21:31)

Propaganda. Propaganda. Propaganda.

I could just imagine seeing the usual trash threat that precedesmovies... I should let some federal authority know if this is anillegal copy and I will face some serious penalty or another blah blahblah. Nobody should pay to see this. I have to purchase legal copies ofgovernment propaganda just for the privilege. ....I would be moreconcerned about the morality of just watching this BS. Taking the mostextreme hypothetical situation is the kind of justification given to usby every barbaric culture that wishes to excuse its atrocities. Such anA-list of actors too. Nice to see where they all stand. Artists are notwhat they used to be eh?

Gerald Blanco (2012-05-20 08:00)

Unthinkably moving....

Frankly, I don't understand why a lot are saying this is a propaganda.I think the entire intent of this film is to challenge our own sets of"beliefs" and "morality." It's not about whether Americans or Muslims are right or wrong. It'sabout questioning the audience how far we are willing to go. The moviemakes you want to ask other people - would you be willing to do the"unthinkable" to preserve your way of life and protect your loved onesfrom certain harm. Acting and script are mediocre (at best) but the end result isunthinkably moving.....

(2012-05-20 07:55)

Thought provoking.

I didn't expect much from this straight-to-DVD movie, but was surprised by it's great acting, story, and ability to make me question my opinions. This film is difficult to watch at times, and covers controvercial material, but It doesn't really take a side on the issue, just gives you food for thought, while being a great drama. i imagine this didn't make it to theaters, because many people in this country see only in black and white, and are offended any time America is portrayed as a potential bad guy. Those who understand that life is filled with "gray areas" will enjoy this film, if you're a "Patriot" from a red state, you may be offended. One thing's for sure, you'll be thinking about it long after it's over.

Michael M (2012-05-20 03:28)

Great acting.

The actors make this movie better than it actually is. Suspenseful, but never reaches the goal. Dialogue could have been better. Does a good job of showing both sides of the argument on terrorist rights.Worth watching just for the acting. Not as gory as I thought it would be..don't know if that is good or bad.

(2012-05-18 17:06)

The Unthinkable "Torture on American Soil"

This review is from: Unthinkable (DVD) This an excellent movie. 5*****. Samuel L. Jackson gives the performance of his career. Michael Sheen as 'The Terrorist' is unforgettable. Whether they were the lead actor or supporting cast the director shows everyones emotions and internal plight with right or wrong. The question? Put in that extreme situation what would you do for your country? And how far interrogation of a terrorist on U.S. soil should be permitted to go?

Mike B (2012-05-18 10:56)

Unpalatable and though-provoking

This film maybe unpalatable but it is thought-provoking. It brings upmoral issues regarding torture which we may not agree with. It alsoshows it in a rather disturbing context where torture is used to getanswers. Basically when the lives of thousands, millions are at stakeis it justifiable? This is what this film is about and it does itrather well. If one has experienced a horrendous crime that could havebeen prevented – how far would you go to prevent it? Torture is aconstant in all wars.The dialogue and acting are first-rate. The ending is deliberatelyoblique.

hahashahid (2012-05-17 00:59)

Pure Torture!

This was just a bad film. The moral lesson that seems to have so manypeople awestruck is indeed an issue that requires deep reflection, butthe makers of this film didn't seem to get that. First of all, the threat, three homemade nukes? Are you kidding me?!But thats not the point. It was bad, unconvincing acting all over. Thecharacters were barely believable especially that sissy General incharge of the whole torture operation. Agent Crody was the worstinterrogator I have ever seen in a movie. Will Farrel was a betterinterrogator in The Other Guys! And "H"...well...see the movie and tellme how someone like Samuel Jackson could agree to do such a onedimensional and shallow role! His wife's story of rape and murder wasone of the worst pieces of acting in the entire film...and that in afilm filled with bad acting. And that terrorist. He was drilled in themouth, his fingernails pulled, his fingers chopped off! He never lostconsciousness, not even close. In fact, he maintained his presence ofmind to make wise cracks all along! Next time you want a terrorist todivulge information, force him to watch this film. Pure torture! TheChinese kind!

(2012-05-16 09:22)

Amazing Movie

I consider this an amazing movie - not for the acting or script, which we both fine, but for the thought provoking subject. I guarantee that if you watch this movie you'll be talking about it for days afterward. What would you do if you had a terrorist from whom you needed to extract the location of three nuclear weapons hidden in American cities? It's easy to support the "no torture we're civilized" position until it's your family and friends in real and imminent danger. Then what would you do?

dwvq (2012-05-14 17:55)

Unthinkable... The Sum of all our Fears

Today I watched Unthinkable. In the movie, a terrorist, played byMichael Sheen, is a former 'evil' CIA agent who, after seeing thelight, joins Islam, steals 18 pounds of Russian plutonium, and nukesAmerican cities. In fact, to prove his moral superiority over the realenemy of America, President Bush, and his lackeys portrayed played bySamuel Jackson and Carrie Anne Moss, he surrenders himself to the USAauthorities. Therefore it is clear that the star character of the movieis the terrorist.I found it very 'interesting' to watch the DVD with the videocommentary turned on. Gregor Jordan, the films director, states, toquote, "America, under former President Bush, lost all its humanity andall creditability. Is run by a bunch of evil animals…" He furtherstates that, "Of course with the election of President Obama, Americais no longer a country that tortures, and is a nice place again."Considering that the Obama administration has put more effort intoclosing Jeep Dealership whose owners gave campaign contributions toRepublicans than it has in closing Guantanamao Bay, one has to wonderwhat 'Unthinkable' is really all about? I'm sure it wasn't politicalmotivated…

(2012-05-14 04:39)

GREAT Movie with Amazing Performances / **Spoiler-Free**

Breathless. That's how I sat through the entirety of this incredibly well-done timely and topical thriller. (Well, I did breath occasionally - 90 minutes is a long time...) "Unthinkable" puts the viewer in the squirmy frame of mind to start considering how far is too far when trying to save millions of lives from a deranged terrorist bent on nuclear annihilation of millions of innocents.What I find so brilliant about the film is that it manages to delve deeply into the very controversial issues of torture and interrogation methods for learning information critical to an immediate threat to innocent life without being preachy in either direction or ostensibly taking a side. It's a shame that so many of the previous reviewers of this film lack the ability to review it in such a manner, but this to me illustrates the significance of this film's accomplishment in exploring the issues at length without judgment either way.Make no mistake; in this film there is graphic depiction of torture, but to my mind it cannot be called gratuitous. For the viewer to really begin pondering the question of abandoning certain values that inevitably make us weaker versus abandoning our humanity, it is necessary, I believe, for us to understand exactly what it is we are condoning when we say "I think torture is acceptable if..."Even once we enter sort of a "comfort zone" with what we are witnessing, the film delves even further by taking the process into the "Unthinkable". Which of course is exactly the point. Can the "Unthinkable" suddenly become an option? Without drawing any conclusions, the film draws you along into the dark recesses of the human psyche and makes you inevitably face the question in your own mind as you watch the harrowing drama unfold on the screen. Regardless of what side you fall on, or even if you remain uncertain of *which* side you fall on at all, as I do, the ability of the movie to keep you thinking on the subject long after the credits roll is unquestionable.Moss and Jackson are positively brilliant, and the odd awkward scene or dialog cannot lessen the impact of this intense, provocative psychological thriller. An absolute must-see.