By Yevette Renee Nelson
Bottom Line
Espionage and family
Director
Phillip Stölzl
Screenwriters
Arash Amel
Cast
Aaron Eckhart, Liana Liberator, Olga Kurylenko
Intertwined with gripping action, suspense and a heart felt and emotional relationship, ERASED is sure to keep you engaged.
Directed by Phillip Stölzl, ERASED trails ex-CIA agent Ben Logan (Aaron Eckhart) as he navigates the street of Belgium with his teenage daughter, Amy, (Liana Liberator); unwavering in his pursuit of the truth after returning to his new job, to find the company has vanished. And his assistant has marked Logan and Amy for elimination.
Moving to Europe, Logan’s priority is to establish a relationship with his daughter. A daughter he hardly knows after leaving his family believing it would keep them safe.
Arash Amel’s screenwriting is spot-on portraying the dilemmas of a working parent when Ben promises Amy he will attend her school event, only to have his boss give him an assignment he must complete before morning. As you would imagine, missing her event adds to his challenge of building trust amidst their already delicate relationship.
A parent coping with a typical teenager can be a monumental challenge. Add having to come clean about your dark past, all the while you are both being hunted and evading bullets. You have a poignant thriller.
The film would have been better served if Amy’s old cliché scene of a damsel in distress falling trying to evade capture were eliminated.
That old familiar adage, you can’t judge a book by its cover, holds true when it is discovered that Anna Bright (Olga Kurylenko), Ben’s former lover and fellow CIA agent may some how be involved with the international conspiracy. Logan and Anna’s past relationship adds another layer of emotional drama and intrigue.
Phillip Stölzl close-up scenes create a strong and intense film. As one who does enjoy special effects, it is pleasing to watch Ben’s expertise as a former kill squad assassin put to use in realistic action and hand to hand combat.
Over all, a good blend of drama and sentiment. Check it out. 7.5
Rated R Violence
Release Date: VOD on April 5th and in theaters May 10th
Distributor: RADiUS-TWC
Producer: Karl Richards, Jonathan Vanger and Claude Leger
Executive Producer: Judy Cairo, Michael A. Simpson, Howard Meltzerm Eric Brenner and Harry Winer
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Liana Liberator, Olga Kurylenko
Director: Phillip Stölzl
Screen Writers: Arash Amel
Cinematographer: Kolja Brandt
Production Designer: Jean-Francois Campeu
Editor: Dominique Fortin
Costume Designer: Pascalina Chavanne
Composer: Jeff Danna
Run time: 104 minutes