By Jeremy Hannaford (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: October 3, 2012
Cleanskin is the definition for a homegrown terrorist who has no connections to any criminal organizations, making them invisible to national security. Following the ideals of radical groups and creating secret terrorist cells, these operatives are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. This lifestyle is portrayed in the film of the same name, showing both the moral quandaries and consequences they face.
Sean Bean plays Ewan, a guilt-ridden Secret Service agent who recently failed to protect a fellow agent. His director keeps him in the field but forces him to go underground. She gives him free reign to find and eliminate the suspected terrorist cell in London. While Bean appears to play the lead, it is Abhin Galeya who steals the show.
Abhin plays Ash, the “cleanskin” who leads the terrorist cell that Ewan is hunting. Throughout the film, we are shown moments of Ash’s past that lead up to what he becomes. It shows his introduction into a radical group and how he rises through the ranks to take on more serious tasks. It is when he is told to assist in an execution that Ash begins to question what he truly believes. His world which was once black and white becomes a blur of indecision and chaos. Ash’s development is the defining moment of the film.
However, during the final 20 minutes, Ash’s conflicted relationships with his terrorist cell and his on and off again girlfriend seem to just disappear. The curse of many straight-to-DVD terrorist threat films is that they always end the same way. While Cleanskin first appears like it is going to break this formula, it falls right into the same pit as all the rest. The sudden change in Ash breaks everything that the viewer has invested in him.
Hadji Hajang brings a sense of brutality to his film that is rare. It isn’t senseless but it is vicious. It shows that the characters will do what they have to do. The means to the ends aren’t set in front of them. Nothing is just good or bad. The line in the sand has been covered and it is up to them to decide where is must be drawn. And sometimes, they are horribly wrong. The first three quarters of the film is quite enjoyable with decent character development and an intriguing story. But Hadji just seems to rush his own ending and forgets everything he established in the first place. For a straight-to-DVD flick, it’s definitely more admirable than the rest of the category but is shy of being a really good film. At least Sean Bean can be proud of this one.
