Mum's Monday: Jack Reacher

Based on the book by Lee Child called One Shot

WARNING SPOILERS

The film starts off with sweeping views of the city of, Pittsburgh, and with the music it builds the suspense of the film.

Now 5 people are dead and the police are investigating, with so many clues, they come up with a name, but he has a surprising request.

A funny part is when Rodin (Richard Jenkins) and Emerson (David Oyelowo) are discussing the case and how are they to start looking for Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) and in walks the very same man.

Sadly, due to a past lucky escape, Barr (Joseph Sikora) is back in the lime-light and deemed guilty.

This is a very clever film, the twist is, being that, Jack wants to see Barr charged, but there are inconsistencies, with Barr’s past actions. If Jack really wants to see Barr sent down, he has to prove he is guilty. This film is more about nailing the crime to Barr, than trying to get him off, and to make it clear, Barr is not Jack’s friend.

As the film progresses, Jack begins to suspect, him and Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), maybe on to something. Not all things are, cut and dry, black and white.

A part, that seems strange, is when, in a bar Jack is hounded into starting a fight. Next we see the importance of putting ‘The’ in front of the place where you work. It turns out to be a good clue, as in ‘The’ auto part store. Someone is trying to scare Jack off.

There is a lot to discuss to prove Barr, did or didn’t do the crime. It is good to see each area of the investigation being stripped down and analysed. This makes the film intelligent and interesting.

I almost feel sorry for Sandy (Alexia Fast), things come back to haunt her, in a big way, with Jack standing in front of her.

As we find Jack going about, looking for more evidence, he could have been in real trouble if the 2 men, who were attacking him, weren’t so incompetent. The scenes are amusing to watch, and adds a bit of light-heartedness in contrast to the suspense of the film.

As the film progresses, the clues add up and Jack and Helen have now to build a case to get Barr off.

Just when you think the film is over, job done, that it is now going on for too long, new evidence comes to light, which makes the film even more clever, than I first thought.

One Shot, included in 6, now I understand why the book, this film is based on, is called by this title, it is not only fitting, but extremely well thought-out. I first thought the title of the book ‘One Shot’ was because, yes Barr shot the men, whilst being a soldier, in the army, but didn’t carry out the shooting now, hence, the ‘One Shot’ back in the past, his army days, but it turns out it applies to the latest shootings.

It was nice to see the people at the bus stop help Jack, it was fun to see his car just roll away. Getting to the gun range took a little longer than expected.

Some scenes made me wonder, the phrase, why bring a knife to a gun fight, it is good to see Jack eventually acquire a gun though.

It turns out, it only took a quarter in a parking metre and Barr would have picked a different location to carry out the crime, for Jack and Helen to realise Barr’s innocence and the complete picture.

During this revelation, Helen isn’t impressed with the modifications to her car, but it did help get the job done.