The Peacemaker

The Peacemaker

Directed By Mimi Leder

Starring: George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iures

This 1997 political action thriller was directed by Mimi Leder who has spent most of her career in television. Despite this, her work in films is impressive. She’s been involved in films like Deep Impact and Pay It Forward. This film stars George Clooney and Nicole Kidman along with a number of great actors who make this a fun and suspenseful film.

When Russian nuclear arms are stolen the United States government sends Dr. Julia Kelly (Kidman) and Lt. Colonel Thomas Devoe (Clooney) to hunt them down. On the other end a terrorist (Iures) is planning to use the warheads to make a statement to the Western world. As Kelly and Devoe search across Europe they’re faced with challenges from all directions. They’re also faced with the knowledge that each minute brings them closer to a possible terrorist attack. Determined the find the weapons and stop the terrorists Kelly and Devoe are willing to cross the line and do what it takes. The question isn’t if they’ll find the warheads, it’s if they’ll find them in time.

This was a decent suspense movie with a lot of action. I could say that it’s cut from the same cloth as most other political dramas. It’s the kind of film that keeps you in suspense despite being relatively predictable. When watching this movie the suspense comes from the “how” not the “what”.

Clooney and Kidman work well together in the film. I would say that this is a better performance from Kidman than she gave in The Interpreter. The two of them manage to play well off each other without any awkward moments. Iures is also great in the movie. He plays the role of a villain with a style that almost tempts you to feel some connection with him.

The rest of the film seems like a typical Hollywood action film. It has hard gritty moments throughout and manages to avoid being overly graphic. I would give this film a 3.2 out of 5 stars. If you like political thrillers or action films this might be one for you.

Rating: R

Running Time: 124 minutes