“We’re Americans. We read your emails.” —Joe
Today’s quick review: Domino. While responding to a domestic disturbance, Copenhagen police officer Christian Toft (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) makes a mistake that puts his partner Lars (Soren Malling) in the hospital. Determined to make things right, Christian goes after the attacker: a Libyan man named Ezra Tarzi (Eriq Ebouaney). In doing so, Christian becomes tangled in a terrorist plot and a CIA operation headed by Joe Martin (Guy Pearce).
Domino is a crime thriller from director Brian De Palma. The movie follows a Danish cop who stumbles onto the trail of ISIS leader Salah Al-Din (Mohammed Azaa) while pursuing the man who injured his partner. Domino plays its characters off one another, letting the conflicts between Christian, Ezra, Salah, and Joe drive its plot. However, its unsympathetic characters, mediocre craftsmanship, and lack of clear purpose make it an underwhelming watch.
Domino misplays its hand. The basic premise is interesting: one bad decision that leads to unforeseen consequences. But Domino quickly drops its more interesting elements—Christian’s guilt about Lars and Ezra’s mysterious motives—in favor of an unfocused, terrorist-oriented plot. Christian drifts sidelong into the hunt for Salah Al-Din, and the movie never settles on a concrete reason why Salah’s plot is more important than Ezra’s.
Domino also has other issues. Christian makes for a lukewarm protagonist, while Alex Boe (Carice van Houten), his new partner for the case, contributes little. The drama with Lars comes off flat, the thrills are never that tense, and any point the film might be trying to make ends up lost in the thicket of subplots. The kicker is an obtrusive orchestral soundtrack that tries too hard to set the tone and ends up being distracting instead.
None of these issues are crippling alone, but taken together, they strip the sheen off a movie that already has trouble distinguishing itself. Domino has the makings of a decent thriller, but a couple of significant plot missteps and mixed execution overall quickly stifle its momentum. Domino holds modest value for those looking for a brief jaunt into the crime genre, but there are other films that offer the same benefits and more.
For a richer look at terrorism and its surrounding issues, try The Kingdom or Traitor. For a more thrilling movie with a similar premise, try Unlocked. For a more plot-focused look at law enforcement’s response to terrorism, try Closed Circuit.
4.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a decent setup with flawed execution.