The Samaritan (2012)

Foley (Samuel L. Jackson) leaves prison after serving 25 years. Everybody he knows are dead or dying. He is approached by Ethan (Luke Kirby) who is the son of his best friend. Foley was forced to kill Ethan's father in that last job 25 years ago. Ethan sends drug-addict Iris (Ruth Negga) to be with Foley. Foley rescues her from creepy Jake. After sleeping with her, Ethan reveals the shocking truth about Iris. To keep it a secret, Foley is forced to work for Ethan in a scam against gangster Xavier (Tom Wilkinson).The first half meanders quite a bit. I was waiting for the movie to move in one direction and boy, what a move! It's quite a shocking twist. I don't agree with how the story moves afterwards. I don't think it's a move that Ethan would do if his only aim is to get his help. It is however an epic revenge move. The other notable aspect is hard-boil noir look that is imparted on Toronto. Ruth Negga is great and she's great with Jackson. I simply think the story should go in a different way.

Foley is released from prison after serving 25 years for murdering (under duress) his best friend. He is determined to go straight, but his friend's son Ethan is equally determined to drag him into taking part in a con on a big-time criminal. Then his path is crossed by Iris, a young prostitute and junkie, and suddenly the future might be different.I buy DVDs from Poundland every now and then. I am always optimistic about films I have never heard of, and I am almost always disappointed. This film is a rare exception. Moderately high profile (Samuel L Jackson is Foley, Tom Wilkinson is the mark, up and coming Ruth Negga is Iris), it is nonetheless a film which had passed under my (very active) radar without trace.The action is infrequent and, when it comes, very violent, but this is not a film about action. It is about characters, the relationships between them, and the holds they have on each other. The story is strong, there are unexpected plot developments, the acting is good, and the direction is very good.I expected to be disappointed: I was delighted.

After twenty-five years in prison Foley has given up his life as a crook. This life has left him without a home, friends and family. He is ready to start a new life and get a job on a construction site but thing don't go to well when he makes a mistake and it's close to be fired. He is visited by the son of his ex-partner who has been killer by him when he has the choice for his life or his partner. Now Ethan looks to revenge his father death and want to use Foley in a scam that can make them eight millions richer. He has a secret that will assure him that the plan will go as he wants when he introduces to him the beautiful Iris, a girl that works for him and she has a debt to him and the perfect way to get even is do to this service for him. Xavier, the man who is the target is a power full man of business and ruthless when it comes to peoples that steals from him. The plan goes almost perfect gut Foley finds out a secret about Iris who has already has an relationship and when she makes a mistake revealing to Xavier what they want to do for real, they are put in the situation when must brake and partnership and fight for their lives.The Samaritan is a very well designed thriller although Tom Wilkinson appear for a very short amount of time at the beginning and the end but the rest of the cast makes the film to be one of the best thriller from 2012 with a good story, a fact that will fool many of us and a surprised twist that never expected. Definitely a must see.

As much as I enjoy Samuel L. Jackson's movies, then "The Samaritan" was a little bit difficult to get through. The movie wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, it was just slow paced and took forever to get anywhere.The story is about Foley (played by Samuel L. Jackson) who gets out from jail after twenty years of incarceration. Wanting to live a respectable and law-abiding life, and with just that life within grasp together with the young woman, Iris, that he met, the past catches up with Foley and he is being pressured into doing another grift.Storywise, then "The Samaritan" was alright. Mind you, it wasn't an overly mind-blowing story, but it was nicely told and well acted, and thus it was a watchable movie. However, this movie is the type that you watch once and never again, as it just doesn't have enough contents to support multiple viewings.What sort of drained the enjoyment out of the movie for my part, aside from the slow pace, was that the storyline was predictable and there were no surprises or thrills anywhere through the entire 90 minutes. As such, then there are far better movies in this particular genre of ex-criminals returning to a life of crime.The cast was alright, and I will say that they did good jobs with their given roles, and it was, of course, Samuel L. Jackson who carried the movie. I will also point out that the supporting roles performed by Alan C. Peterson (playing Miro) and Tom Wilkinson (playing Xavier) really did add something good to the movie.In overall, then "The Samaritan" is a mediocre result, which doesn't bring anything new or spectacular to the genre.