An Ordinary Man

A truly moving experience! This presentation has everything, love, honour, justice, vengeance, hatred, hope, hopelessness. This is filled with superb acting and I was left knowing the cost of knowledge. To what or to whom will we sacrifice our all?

Have seen this excellent film with a 1st Class performance by both Ben Kingsley and the maid Hera Hilmar, kudos to both!

An American drama thriller; A story about an infamous war criminal living in one of the states of the former Yugoslavia who spends his life on the run from international authoritiesand discovered by a young woman whom he makes his new maid. An artistic choice was made to have the characters speak in their native accents, and in particular for Kingsley to produce a North Lancashire/West Yorkshire English accent which allowed expression to come freely. But, despite a riveting performance from Kingsley the script is a let down. It struggles to find a groove and remain plausible and no number of surprises in the plot changed that. Motivating an audience to understand a genocidal person bound by circumstance is troublesome if the audience gains no real insight into the character's feeling.

I found Kingsley's performance annoyingly showy (one person here called it hammy), in an eccentric, highly theatrical part that allows him to strut around, striking poses, looking menacing and grim, barking out lines better suited to a stage play. He was memorably watchable as a dangerous, scarily manic gangster in "Sexy Beast"; but here, in another tough-guy role, he seems to be enjoying himself a bit too much -- which makes, ironically, for a pretty joyless film.

And his relationship with the girl never seems real. She's too cool a customer, speaks too little, and never acts toward this forbidding old bully the way a real girl would.

Great old building, though. That apartment makes for a wonderfully atmospheric setting.

Intriguing film. Kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Ben Kingsley gives an excellent performance. I was struck by the scene in the country when an old woman seemingly ignores Kingsley, but just touches the side of his face as she passes him. Great moment. Not a perfect film, but definitely worth seeing.