sol- Taken to an unspecified European country for interrogation after killing three US soldiers, an unnamed terrorist tries to survive after fleeing capture in this unconventional thriller starring Vincent Gallo. It is not an easy to film to watch, and much of what Gallo gets up to (especially with a mother with a baby) may make one feel queasy, but Jerzy Skolimowski's approach in directing the material is refreshingly unique. His protagonist is thoroughly dislikeable at face value: possibly a member of the Taliban and mercilessly killing many along the way. As the title alludes to though, all of his killings are essential, at least in his eyes, and it is hard not to feel for his desperation, heinous as his actions may be. The choice to shoot with minimal dialogue (Gallo never once speaks) and no specific locations works well too as the film gets down to the essence of what it means to survive and live in the heat of the moment, politics aside. Interesting as all this might sound, 'Essential Killing' nevertheless ends on a sadly inconclusive note. The final section of the film (in which second-billed Emmanuelle Seigner finally appears) comes off as extremely implausible too. The benefit of all those flashbacks is likewise debatable since the less we know about Gallo, the more fascinating he is. If flawed, 'Essential Killing' remains daringly different though to the point that it is a hard film not to recommend. The picturesque yet hostile deserted locations, the frequently mobile cinematography and Pawel Mykietyn's eerie score all combine to make a difficult yet hard-to-forget experience.

Niamh O'Connor I don't agree that this film is a total waste of time nor would I urge a friend to watch it. It certainly has merits and can't be slated for lack of dialogue - the protagonist does not speak or understand the language in the land in which he finds himself! It seems that some reviewers think that he should be speaking to himself (perhaps as a kind of narrator) which would in my view diminish the impact of the audio that is present. I confess that Gallo is not my favourite actor - there is something about his overplayed anguish or emotional vacancy (in other work) that irritates and in my opinion borders on self-indulgent. But in saying that I would always watch a V. Gallo movie for their content but wish that he would dominate less. But in this particular movie, his character is central and leads us through some beautiful and unforgiving terrain and of course plenty of 'essential killing'. I guess whether or not we view it as 'essential' rests upon whether we find the main character sympathetic or not and this (despite all the holes in the telling, pointed out in other reviews) is where I run out of interest. I never cared enough to invest in this character, not even a little, so was removed from any outcome for him or the peripheral others he encountered. I was more interested in the visuals of this movie and the audioscape, which were at times alarming but always engaging.

almeidapm Plot: A man is captured in the desert by United States forces after attacking three soldiers, and is soon tortured and brutalized in a secret detention center. He finds himself transported to Poland, along with other prisoners. He manages to escape into the vast frozen woodland, a world away from the home he knew.If you are expecting a Hollywood kind of movie you will be disappointed. This polish films is more about the inner struggle to survive in a hostile environment, and how the human is conditioned to survive and will fight to the end not only to survive but most important to be free.This movie has a lot of the same basis as The Grey, the main difference is that the backdrop story is different, but the aspect of survival, is there, this one also adds the aspect of freedom as a goal that drives survival.

Dannifain Really bad movie with no narrative. No ending. It's a run away movie and it's just goes on and on with the same idea and it gets obnoxious and boring! Furthermore, The text writing has no sophistication at all.Don't waste your time and your money. I really don't understand how come the movie won 5 prizes in movie festival. The only thing I was satisfied with in the movie was the nature surrounding camera shooting which was magnificent. But still, the hero just wanders around in nature all along with no words coming from his mouth and the story just goes no where. In conclusion, the film was a waste of time and money and I believe you all will find a better violent and sophisticated movie to go to.