When the love of his life is kidnapped and held for ransom by terrorists, a war hero Brad Paxton races against the clock to rescue her in a daring and deadly operation that pits him against the most powerful and shadowy forces.
Hachim Haji produced three seasons of the superb series “The Bureau” which focused on the French intelligence agency DGSE. It’s one of my favorite series of all time with a sprawling narrative and an emotionally complicated storyline. Haji seems to aim for that world of spies and double-crosses but his directorial debut lacks a finesse. His pacing is rambunctious and there’s a significant lack of action throughout.
“Redemption Day” begins with title cards displaying some insightful statistics like how “oil is the leading cause of war” and “the US spends $81 billion just to project oil supplies.” When I saw this I was excited, thinking I was in for a political thriller like “Syriana.” Unfortunately, the war for oil issue isn’t appropriately dissected which feels cheap and unnecessary to discuss upfront.
The story opens in Syria, a long unbroken take follows Captain Brad Paxton (Gary Dourdan) as he walks through the American base to receive his orders. His commander says their mission is to deliver medical supplies to children hiding in a village near ISIS-controlled territory. Already this was a bit confusing since those title cards said Americans are fighting purely for oil but then the writers make it look like the illegal War in Syria is for humanitarian relief.
I wasn’t expecting Hemingway but there’s plenty of generic dialogue like, “let’s move out,” “Time to make the donuts,” or “chop-chop,” that are delivered like it’s the coolest thing to say. During their mission, Paxton’s convoy is stopped by a sudden blast from an improvised explosive device. He exits his vehicle in the middle of hailing bullets and the scene cuts to Paxton waking up next to his wife Kate (Serinda Swan) safely in bed. It was only a vivid nightmare but this envoy attack is repeatedly recalled in an attempt to display his PTSD. Writers need to stop victimizing the invading forces and focus more on the victims of these endless wars.
Kate, an archaeologist, is leaving the US for a dig in Morocco and Paxton is thrilled to get more time with their children. During their archaeological excavation, Kate’s team seem to excel in history but not in navigation when they mistakenly end up in Algeria. A roving ISIS militia quickly kidnaps them and one comically shouts “you smell like pork.” The militia is led by Jaafar El Haida (Sammy Naceri), a cartoonish performer that never misses a chance to over-act. He decides to hold the hostages for ransom and oddly seems insecure in his position.
News of the kidnapping reaches Ambassador Williams (Andy Garcia) and CIA station chief Fitzgerald (Martin Donovan) who are meeting at his office inside the US embassy in Morocco. The two men don’t like each other but begin to concoct a plan to save the hostages. Fitzgerald is concerned over Paxton’s personal connection to their operation and considers him a liability. For a country with the largest military force, I thought they could find at least ONE other soldier to assist with the rescue mission. I’m surprised actors Donovan and Garcia signed on but their presence helped even if Donavan looked like he didn’t want to be there.
At the end of the day, this film is a mess beyond redemption. Its script is clunky and full of exposition which removes any trace of mystery or intrigue. At least the locations filmed in Haji’s native Morocco are beautiful but the production design is another story. I’m not sure which crew member is to blame but the lighting is so bad that the inevitable final shootout was a very frustrating experience. Mission unaccomplished!
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