6 Days

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a film that you know isn't half bad to watch, yet somehow you can't help but walk out bored. I would give 6 Days a 6/10.

This film does an amazing job of managing to be quite an informative biopic; you're cast straight back to the event and given historical information that is pretty intriguing to engage with. The film also manages to keep an atmospheric and delicate tension which does wonders for the negotiator/terrorist dynamic. Everything about this film was 'setting the scene' and it was incredible to see the ways in which multiple plots built up to the assault upon the embassy.

Mark Strong, who played Max Vernon, was quite a morally duplicitous figure; the way he manipulated both the terrorists and his own wife by the end of the film really made you question the integrity of this role. Tim Pigott-Smith and Robert Portal, who played William Whitelaw and Colonel Mike Rose respectively, presented a really interesting insight into the political aspect of this terror event; the exceptionally satirical discussion around Margaret Thatcher provided a bit of personality to this film.

However the best performance came from Ben Turner, who played Salim. Turner is placed in the difficult position of being the voice of the terrorists for this film; the way he acts sets the tone for whether the antagonists are quite stereotypical in their portrayal or if they feel like individual characters. There's a real sense of desperation in this performance, he's a wild card teetering on the edge of control. I like how Turner played this character as very conflicted and even confused at times, it was clear his role didn't have complete control of the hostage situation and he didn't know how to handle the severity of this.

This might be a film faithful to what happened but it struggles to create a narrative that makes you care. Throughout the film you are introduced to a wide variety of rigid roles who don' display any qualities which make you like them all that much, you want to find a point of connection with the film but struggle to as an audience member. Beyond this the final moral message of the story is a little vague; it both condemns the actions of law enforcement in this event while celebrating a successful response to a terrorist threat. The tension aspect of the film is great but it makes for one long running aspect of the film, the story runs at quite a monotone pace. The cinematography for the film is quite drab and grey, this certainly isn't much to look at. The way this film is cut speaks of poor editing, it was a chore to sit through the entire feature due to the gradual pace of 6 Days. The score for the film is entirely forgettable, it neither provides anything to the tone nor does it leave an impression upon the viewer.

Jamie Bell and Emun Elliott, who played Rusty Firmin and Roy respectively, are both a pair of adrenaline-filled soldiers overflowing with bravado; this pair are painted to be the protagonists of the film but they aren't very likeable nor easy to connect with. Abbie Cornish, who played Kate Adie, often doesn't feel like she fits very well into the story; Cornish is quite a stiff role and is often presenting a heavy hit of exposition. Aymen Hamdouchi, who played Faisal, does quite the opposite of Turner; Hamdouchi presents a very generic portrayal of Hollywood terrorism. Toby Leach, who played Trevor Lock, sadly falls into the background throughout this film; Leach has a lot of heart and could've been an alright role if he wasn't reduced to a bumbling figure by the film's end.