...watch and enjoy! Sadly, I could not overlook her. Without the daughter, I would have been able to finish this film and most likely say I enjoyed it. She was the first and last straw that broke everything. I tried to hold on, I really did. But her character was just too entirely inconsistent, ridiculous, and therefore annoying. She sapped all joy out of watching Eckhart, who is great and was great in this film. Product of some seriously lazy writing. It almost felt like maybe she was an after-thought...or maybe the character didn't turn out the way they intended and they lost control. She was too bratty. I mean, she was actually unbelievably bratty. No, like literally, it was beyond my capability to suspend belief. She just wasn't real. Yes, they did take some clichéd scenarios we've seen before in the once estranged now newly reunited daughter/father relationship. But, honestly, that's not what killed it. What killed this movie was the absurdist approach to the rebellious teenage daughter. In one instance they're fighting and a split-second later she's beckoning for a show of affection. Dad saves her life and she's mad at him because he saved her life and by all accounts he shouldn't be able to do that. OF COURSE, if I thought my father had been a normal every day working class citizen and I saw him whip out some special agent moves, I would want answers. I WAS once a teenager. I have not forgotten what that was like. If this experience had happened, certainly, I would be confused, frightened, and possibly a little upset, but I wouldn't be so angry, I'd do things like snatch away from my father's grip and yell at him, spewing contempt because he's doing heroic things he shouldn't be able to do...especially when his heroics are done on my behalf.
The actress overplayed the role. She was in moments too grown and subsequently too young in others. There were moments she was completely clueless and asking tons of questions, whereas in others she was suddenly a skilled investigator and taking the lead in ways I would NEVER EVER believe a normal teenage child would begin to know how. I think Ms Liberato is a good actress, I just think with poor writing and poor directing she as well as her character never had a chance for success here.
She was just too unbearable. To have a skilled ex-CIA agent who is completely unable to put his foot down and tell his daughter to 'sit down, shut up, and do what I say!', surpassed what felt like a slap in the face. And the little to non-existing chemistry between her and Eckhart left us with nothing to save this film.
It was an excellent concept, and well made (cinematically). I was hooked from the very first second and dying to know what this mess was all about, but I couldn't take the daughter anymore, who, at every turn, proved herself more and more unimportant to the story. This story really and truly could have survived without the character all together and would have been great!
The actress overplayed the role. She was in moments too grown and subsequently too young in others. There were moments she was completely clueless and asking tons of questions, whereas in others she was suddenly a skilled investigator and taking the lead in ways I would NEVER EVER believe a normal teenage child would begin to know how. I think Ms Liberato is a good actress, I just think with poor writing and poor directing she as well as her character never had a chance for success here.
She was just too unbearable. To have a skilled ex-CIA agent who is completely unable to put his foot down and tell his daughter to 'sit down, shut up, and do what I say!', surpassed what felt like a slap in the face. And the little to non-existing chemistry between her and Eckhart left us with nothing to save this film.
It was an excellent concept, and well made (cinematically). I was hooked from the very first second and dying to know what this mess was all about, but I couldn't take the daughter anymore, who, at every turn, proved herself more and more unimportant to the story. This story really and truly could have survived without the character all together and would have been great!