Five Fingers (2006)

This is a tense psychological drama. A Dutch banker travels to Morocco to set up a food program at the behest of his Moroccan girlfriend. He is kidnapped by a group of extremists who hold him captive and ultimately torture him for information. But who, we wind up asking, is ultimately who? And what truly are everyone's motives? It's a tough film to watch as it deals not only with terrorism and our assumptions about terrorists but also with the challenging topic of torture as a means of obtaining information.

The best parts of the film involve the intense dialogs between the three main characters of the captive, Martijn (Ryan Phillippe), the captor, Ahmat (Laurence Fishburne), and the captor's accomplice, Aicha (Gina Torres). These three actors' performances are outstandingly authentic and riveting. There's no question that if you love to see actors at the top of their game that you shouldn't miss this film. Ryan Phillippe's role as Martijn, however, is the most demanding and he never falters. As the focus character, Ryan's performance creates an incredibly intelligent and complex character.

But this, nevertheless, is a flawed film. It sometimes stumbles over itself. There seems to be some serious issues with editing and pacing. That's too bad. But this is still definitely worth watching if you can handle it's frank look at modern man's sojourn into primitive behavior.

Fmovies: I just want to make sure that everyone who DID watch this movie, realized as I did, that Ryan Phillipe has done a lot of maturing. I haven't seen a lot of his work- last I recall was something with Susan Sarandon and Kieren Culkin-IGBY GOES DOWN?? Anyway, I was extremely impressed with Ryan's performance in this movie. Although Laurence was also great, I think this is Ryan's best performance ever- I hope it leads to better roles for him. I think he should at least get a nod at some kind of award. (I realize it's an older movie- I don't know if he had any affect on any previous nominations). Anyway, I hope that this is a taste of the NEW matured Ryan Phillip- I look forward, and will watch future films!

"Five Fingers" is a great psychological thriller, which takes place mainly inside a torture room. The story is about Martijn (Phillipe), a young Dutch idealist who goes to Morocco to finance a food program from money he has embezzled; his cause is encouraged by his Moroccan girlfriend, Saadia (Haoud). However, as soon as he reaches Rabat, he gets abducted by a terrorist group, led by a dark character played by Lawrence Fishburne, who believes that Martijn has come there with a sinister purpose. They interrogate him harshly, and although in the beginning he tries to explain his mission, he subsequently decides to change his story. What is the truth, then?

Malkin provides us with a carefully crafted claustrophobic setting, with the tension gradually building up as the abductors play cat and mouse with Martijn. In this theatrical atmosphere, all actors give good performances, and are even moderately successful in applying their respective accents (Dutch, Arabic).

However, the best thing of all is the clever ending, which of course I am not going to reveal here. From that alone, the film deserves an 8/10.

Five Fingers fmovies. There are so many films out there that i guess the ending or work out the twist. This wasn't one of them. This film, if given the chance, is edge of the seat stuff for a proper film fan. I tried to guess the twist many times and was way off every time. It does start slow but give it a chance, it will drag you in and leave you guessing. The brilliant performances from phillipe and fishburne shine through. If you want fast pace action and explosions this film isn't for you but if you enjoy a film that makes you think and guess, watch it. I give this film 8 out of 10 for the simple fact that its different and that you will NOT guess the ending.

i missed the first 15 minutes first time i saw five fingers on cable . i thought it would be just another dumb action, terrorist movie with a typical ending . wow, was i wrong ! five fingers is a truly psychological thriller with a Hitchcock like ending . being only 87 minutes long, it shifts into high gear very quickly . it could have been a stage play because not many scene changes nor many characters to deal with here . Laurence Fishburne gives a truly memorable, award winning performance as Ahmad, the muslin kidnapper . the ending caught me totally by surprise . so much that i ran out to buy the DVD . i watched it a few times because i missed some important details the second time around . i am sorry i did not get to enjoy this movie in the theatre . it was one of the best movies i have seen during the past few years . most films i see are forgotten as soon as they roll the credits at the end . five fingers had me thinking about it for a long time . see it you won't be sorry !

Despite Ryan Phillipe's awful accent (as Martijn), the movie does a good job pulling you into the world they create. It is, as advertised, a "psychological thriller" and a bit of a mystery as you watch it unfold and slowly flashbacks illuminate the present situation.

Laurence Fishburne is EXCELLENT and makes the movie. Phillipe does a good job and although other characters play pivotal roles, it is really about the two of them.

Most of the film is shot in the same location, but it never gets boring or drags and keeps a lot of tension in most of the scenes. A real psychological treat if you just enjoy it! Not the best movie, but certainly a solid piece of entertainment that gets you to look at things from a slightly different perspective than most treatments of the subject of 'terrorism'.