Shadows on the Wall | The Bricklayer

The Bricklayer

dir Renny Harlin
scr Hanna Weg, Matt Johnson
prd Jeffrey Greenstein, Yariv Lerner, Jonathan Yunger, Heidi Jo Markel, Robert Van Norden
with Aaron Eckhart, Nina Dobrev, Clifton Collins Jr, Tim Blake Nelson, Ilfenesh Hadera, Oliver Trevena, Ori Pfeffer, John T Woods, Akis Sakellariou, Konstantin Adaev, Zachary Willis, David Kennedy
release US 5.Jan.24
23/Greece 1h50

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With this spy thriller, action veteran Renny Harlin injects his usual bombastic mayhem with an enjoyably random mix of sentimental asides, sudden violence and jagged humour. The dated B-movie score makes everything feel vaguely ridiculous, while the blunt screenplay never tries to add much interest, sticking to the usual narrative cliches. But the film has a refreshing nasty streak, which adds some edge to the fight sequences.

In Thessaloniki, Greece, the shadowy Radek (Collins) is inexplicably murdering journalists to draw attention to the fact that he possesses whistleblowing documents that could threaten global stability. So CIA director O'Malley (Nelson) sends alert young agent Kate (Dobrev) to investigate, teaming her up with Philadelphia bricklayer Vail (Eckhart), a disgraced former agent who has a history with Radek. So there are old wounds and tragic memories that are adding fuel to this fiery situation. And as Kate and Vail navigate the seedy underbelly of operatives, there are very few people who are trustworthy.

With a snaky but uncomplicated plot that feels devised so do little more than connect the various action sequences, the film gleefully bounces between flashy hand-to-hand combat and messy gunfights, complete with pouring rain and epic explosions. Corny asides abound, from Vail schooling Kate in classic jazz to a range of unauthorised gadgetry and glamorous parties. Swirly flashbacks and a few more faces from Vail's past fill in the sketchy back-story. And there's also, naturally, brickwork.

Dobrev and Eckhart are enjoyable to watch as they engage in the usual odd-couple bickering. The gruff Vail doesn't like taking orders from the sparky Kate, so they exchange barbed insults and scowls. They also just about maintain their dignity with painfully simplistic dialog ("Do you ever get desensitised to it all?" Kate asks earnestly). And it's clearly only a matter of time until they decide they rather like each other. Although Vail's romantic inclinations are limited to his reunion with an ex (Trevena).

There isn't much nuance in the usual clash between new methodology and the old ways, but there's more bite as the story connects to dodgy activities by the United States government that have resulted in considerable collateral damage. This adds a whiff of topicality, even if the filmmakers are uninterested in grappling with it. What remains is a predictable, preposterous, surprisingly vicious action thriller that will entertain anyone who doesn't want to think for a couple of hours.

themes, language, violence 2.Jan.24

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