Review: Survivor

Solid but indistinguishable may be the best way to describe Survivor, a middle-of-the-road thriller that has its moments of excitement but is an assured march to incredulity.

Milla Jovovich stars as Kate Abbott, a well-regarded security expert brought in to help the American Embassy in London. Recent events have made the Embassy ever more vigilant of suspected terrorists obtaining valid visas into the country. On the lookout for those with scientific expertise or chemical and gas specialists, Kate becomes suspicious of Emil Balan (Roger Rees), a Romanian doctor purporting to visit the U.S. for a medical conference. Bill Talbot (Robert Forster), the leader of the visa team, believes Kate is too strict and worries that her thoroughness will result in backlogs and customer complaints.

It is clear from the get-go that Kate's suspicions are well-founded - there wouldn't be a movie if they weren't - when British Inspector Anderson (James D'Arcy) pressures the U.S. Ambassador (Angela Bassett) to shut down Kate's inquiries, citing improper circumvention of the required channels. Meanwhile, the good doctor Balan's concerns about Kate brings about the involvement of The Watchmaker (Pierce Brosnan), an internationally known assassin who has managed to elide capture by undergoing numerous reconstructive surgeries. His initial attempt to kill her in a restaurant bombing results in Kate's unlikely survival and marks her as a most wanted woman.

At this point, the movie kicks into high gear as The Watchmaker attempts to finish what he has started, Anderson shadows Kate's colleague Sam (Dylan McDermott), the only person who believes her innocent, in the hopes of arresting her, and Kate does her utmost to unravel a terrorist conspiracy even as her team are trying to wash their hands clean of her. "If you get her in your sights, do not hesitate," the U.S. Ambassador orders, eager to get rid of this political and public liability.

Director James McTeigue makes good use of the London locations - the chase through St. Pancras Station into the bowels of the underground is gripping - but seems to lose interest as the movie wears on. A number of fine actors waste their talents, though the underrated Jovovich must be commended for somehow making Kate's plight believable and worth investing in.

The film takes place in a lot of darkness - Kate works with the lights off, the foot chase through the tunnels, the finale on a New York rooftop - but there is something in McTeigue's inconsistent direction that suggests budgetary constraints rather than aesthetic choices.

Survivor

Directed by: James McTeigue

Written by: Philip Selby

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, James D'Arcy, Roger Rees