O Santuário

I was surprised to find so low rates for this very interesting story, that could have been made so much more of, while instead the technical effects with splatter and murders galore are allowed to take over and dominate, which reduces every quality.

When a boy in Chicago gets his mother murdered in front of his eyes, he is taken care of by a kind of godfather, who educates him to a special agent and perfect assassination engine. He doesn't entirely agree with this kind of education, and although he sticks to his duties and does what must be done, he tries to get away to hide and find some alternative life, disappearing into Nepal and monasteries and eventually becomes a catholic priest, but his past catches him up, and he is involved in some very difficult operation with casualties, which ultimately turns him into an angry rebel. The film starts with his confession in Italy to some priests, and in the end of the film we return to see the results of this interview, which finishes off the story with a surprising but logical twist.

There are some very good scenes, especially when he finds sanctuary with Rachel among the loafers and homeless in a very basic camp under a bridge, and the first operation is carried out under great exciting stress, leading to the clever second operation, while it's the third that takes a critical turn, but ultimately provides a fine finale to this rahter inhuman story - like all spy stories usually are.

Mark Dacascos makes a convincing enough performance, his nervous face betrrays no unnecessary extra acting except tenseness and reminds you of both Mel Ferrer and Montgomery Clift, and the other actors are also good enough. The film is Canadian (Toronto) and consequently rather matter-of-fact and cool without other exaggerations than the extreme brutality and violence.