The film "Law-abiding citizen": actors, roles, plot

The criminal dramatic thriller "Law-abiding citizen" (actors and characters were instantly appreciated by critics) causes rather mixed feelings after watching. Having removed the film about an individual who went alone against the system to punish offenders, the director F. Gary Gray obviously did not discover America. However, the film is professionally shot, the plot structure is admired, the characters are carefully worked out, the casting is brilliant, so you hardly notice the annoying "rashness" of the idea of revenge.

Do you remember how it all began?

The main actor is a law-abiding citizen, he is a producer, Gerard Butler was first going to make a film about the prison with director Frank Darabont. And in the original version, the protagonist was terribly similar to the hero of Tim Robbinson (who was all smarter, even being locked up in the prison cell) from the picture "Escape from Shawshank", which was presented to the audience in 1994 by the famous Darabonton. The fact is that Frank literally specialized in "prison" subjects, except for Shawshank, he removed the masterpiece "The Green Mile", but for some reason, they did not work with Butler and Darabont hastily left the project. And already F. Gary Gray had to diversify the banal story of revenge with profound philosophical meaning and psychological load in the style of the above paintings. And the film "Law-abiding citizen," whose actors were imbued with the idea of the director, turned out to be a dynamic thriller with frightening, exquisite murders and decent moral overtones.

The acting duet

The casting of the project was unstable. Initially, the creators saw in the role of Rice Gerard Butler, but the main violin was to be Jamie Fox (it is not known whether she would have won from this or lost the film "Law-abiding citizen"). The actor, whose photo is dazzling in all popular media devoted to cinematography - the same Butler, was also the producer of the film, and everyone knows: "Who pays - he orders music." Therefore, when he wanted to play the "villain", roles and actors changed places. However, we should not assume that Gerard Butler, using his special status in terms of acting, "pulled the blanket over himself." Catherine Zeta-Jones was invited to work on the film project, but finally the actress was not persuaded, and yet the strongest link in the film "Law-abiding citizen" is actors and roles. The cast of actors can not but rejoice, everyone is so accustomed to their images, lived the lives of their characters, that they not only believe, but also empathize. The unique reincarnation of Gerard Butler from a decent family man into a cruel and cunning combinatorial criminal provokes genuine surprise and delight. His Clyde Shelton is extremely charismatic and very mysterious, and the look of the protagonist can be compared with the view of "the villain of the first magnitude" - Hannibal Lecter. It is also worthwhile to call Jamie Fox's transformation into a "bad-good" prosecutor Nick Rice, especially his gait is remembered - bold, confident, from him just blows inside strength. There is not a single claim to this actor's duet.

Secondary, but significant

While watching the film, the audience is sure to remember one more actor from the movie "Law-abiding citizen" - Bruce McGill, who gave his character Jonas Cantrelli a charm that is simply amazing. Attorney Prosecutor Sarah Lowell (Leslie Bibb) also draws attention, the characters of detective Dannigan (Colm Mini) and Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart) look worthy. Thanks to the secondary characters, the action was not narrowed on the opposition of the main characters, it was dynamic, diverse and exciting.

A famously twisted plot

Once in the house to the main character Clyde, scumbags break in, kill his little daughter and his beloved wife. Due to the imperfection of the judicial system, only one of the scoundrels is exposed to just punishment, and another is given only three years. Ten years unhappy Clyde has a vengeance plan for those who have not made an effort to punish criminals in all the strictness of the law, among them is prosecutor Nick. And now Shelton begins to bring his plan to execution, and not being exchanged for trifles. The surviving villain will suffer a well-deserved punishment, after his murder the protagonist will surrender to the police (after undressing himself naked). Once in prison, Clyde will launch an offensive against the entire imperfect judicial system: mock, negotiate, blackmail, intimidate. Shelton will accompany all her activities, and if they fail to do so, she will provide the prosecutor with new corpses-this is the plot of the film "Law-abiding Citizen" (the actors and the creators of the tension did everything they could).

The cognitive dissonance

Many film critics argue that the authors made a fatal mistake, turning the unfortunate and inconsolable Clyde into a cold-blooded killer. Indeed, at the beginning of the film, it is impossible for the viewer to remain indifferent to the hero, who, before his eyes, is killed by a child and a beloved woman. And after, when he begins to take revenge on the judicial system and the offenders, gradually you perceive the positive character before as a murderer. And you understand the mind - it must be stopped. And neither the central character, nor the main actor - law-abiding citizen Gerard Butler already - does not cause sympathy. Yes, and the reverse transformation of a black African public prosecutor from an antagonist into a "good" character is somewhat embarrassing. Not all are able to so briskly switch, why many viewers and there is a cognitive dissonance.

And the arguments are all inflaming

Almost five years now the film "Law-abiding citizen" has been marching along the screens of the whole world, actors and heroes have been together, and debates among film critics and ordinary spectators have not ceased. After all, you rarely see a film with such an extraordinary ending, with such depressive prisons and intellectual prisoners, who are so alert that they even strip naked before they are arrested. This movie will not only brighten up the evening, but will make you think about many philosophical and everyday peripeteias, for sure leaving a aftertaste of this thriller.