THE GUNMAN (15)

THE GUNMAN (15)

Run time: 115mins

Director: Pierre Morel

Cast:  Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Jasmine Trinca

Synopsis: Sean Penn stars as a former special forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD. He tries to reconnect with his long time love, but first must go on the run from London to Barcelona and across Europe in order to clear his name.

URL: www.facebook.com/TheGunmanFilm.UK

Director Pierre Morel (Taken, 2008) brings this highly physical, intense and dynamic tale of a sniper on a mercenary team, Jim Terrier (Sean Penn), who after he kills Congo’s Minister of Mines, is forced into hiding. Years later, when he returns to the country to work on a humanitarian project, he finds he is the target of a hit squad himself.

Thereafter follows a dash around Europe while Terrier tries to find old colleagues and question his old allegiances, with fairly flimsy nods to global corruption and espionage, plus a token love triangle.  What elevates the film is Penn’s charismatic and powerful onscreen presence as a rugged action man tormented by a head injury and PTSD flashbacks.

He is ably backed by an outstanding supporting cast: Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba and stunning visual locations, from villages in the Congo to the more familiar but evocative London and Barcelona.

The Gunman marks an enjoyable change of tempo for Sean Penn with some action thrills and glossy locations backing up a fervent portrayal from the leading man.

Images courtesy of Studio Canal

gunman1Capture10986894_789302097814420_6245861780980856565_n