Plot
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.
Release Year: 2015
Rating: 5.9/10 (423 voted)
Critic's Score: 36/100
Director: Pierre Morel
Stars: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca
Storyline
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, working for an unknown client, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's (Sean Penn's) successful kill shot forces him to go into hiding to protect himself and the members of the team from retribution. This includes abruptly abandoning his girlfriend who has no idea what is going on. The assassination, paid for by a foreign mining company, triggers wide spread chaos and death in an already inflamed Congo. Terrier returns to the Congo years later working for an NGO, but eventually finds himself to be the target of a paid hit squad somehow connected to the ministers assassination. This leads to immediate deaths and the endangerment of the people working around him, and forces him back into hiding. In trying to discover who has put a price on his head, he begins to reconnect to the members of his old assassination team, including his old girlfriend. Always aware there is no path to redemption for his crimes, he is also periodically ...
Writers: Don MacPherson, Jean-Patrick Manchette
Cast: Sean Penn -
Jim Terrier
Idris Elba -
DuPont
Javier Bardem -
Felix
Ray Winstone -
Stanley
Mark Rylance -
Cox
Melina Matthews -
Cox's secretary
Jasmine Trinca -
Annie
Blanca Star Olivera -
Tourist
Peter Franzén -
Reiniger
Daniel Westwood -
Spanish Military Guard
Deborah Rosan -
French Newsreader
Jorge Leon Martinez -
Special Agent
Elia Diaz -
Nurse
Ángela Fuente -
Terrier's Nurse
Prasanna Puwanarajah -
Doctor
Trivia:
Sean Penn had been seeking to work with Mark Rylance for a very long time. He invited him to join the movie and agreed to arrange the shooting schedules according to Rylance's availability. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 5/10
'The Gunman' opens with the BBC footage that civil war has erupted in
the Democratic Republic of Congo between rebel militia and governmental
forces locked in a bloody civil war for the control of the country's
prized natural resources. Enter Jim Terrier (Sean Penn), a NGO worker
providing security while an airstrip is being built. In the middle of
chaotic Congo, Jim has fallen in love with Annie (Jasmine Trinca), a
Doctors Without Borders volunteer. Annie has attracted the heart of not
only Jim but also co worker Felix (Javier Bardem). Felix's jealousy is
readily apparent and can only spell disaster for Jim and Annie's
relationship. Only a few minutes into the film we discover that both
Jim and Feliz are living dual lives. Jim is a hired assassin for a
multinational mining company, which is set on protecting their
interests in the war torn Congo. Felix is the civil liaison for the
foreign mining companies and Sean Penn's assassin team. When the
Minister of Mining in the Congo nullifies all mining contracts with
foreign companies, Jim is activated by his employer who wants the
politician assassinated. The team of four assassins is lead by Cox
(Mark Rylance) who announces to his sharp shooters that Felix will
decide which of the assassins will take the fatal shot and then said
assassin will have to flee the continent immediately after. No surprise
Felix chooses Jim to take the shot and having accomplished the mission,
Jim is forced to leave Africa and Annie without so much as a goodbye. 8
years later Jim has reunited with the African continent as a UNICEF
employee drilling wells when suddenly his past assassination comes back
to haunt him. For the next hour and a half, Jim must circumvent Europe
to track down who has knowledge of his past deeds and understand why he
is wanted dead. Without giving any spoilers, the reason 'The
Gunman'never gets off the ground is because the film is unable to
sustain any intrigue. Jim is a glorified henchman for a multinational
corporation, he is hardly the hero that you want to root for. Jim's
character is drawn so thin you know very little about him to care
enough whether he lives or dies. Additionally his relationship with
Annie earns so little screen time before being abruptly halted that you
invest almost nothing in the possibilities of Jim and Annie rekindling
at some later date. The questions that Jim seeks answer to could have
easily been solved with a couple phone calls, but instead his contacts
send him on a treasure hunt around Europe. Apparently the information
Jim needs is only accessible with a change of location at each turn.
Each new venue invites its share of killers and combat. While Jim is on
his mission for answers, we catch wind that Interpol, headed by Idris
Elba, has Jim on their surveillance. Interpol seems one step ahead of
Jim in terms of solving the puzzle, however they are convinced Jim is
the linchpin to cracking the case. The final act of the movie is very
predictable not to mention familiar and even a bit silly. Sean Penn's
physique in the film is impressive and we are constantly reminded how
much the actor got in shape for the role considering how much screen
time his giant biceps earn. There are hardly any production credits
that are distinguishable and worth mentioning here. Ultimately, the
film underwhelms and feels like it wants to cash in on the fan base of
the retired Bourne franchise.
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