20 Years Later, No One Talks About One Of Bruce Willis’ Most Iconic Films
From Die Hard to The Sixth Sense, retired actor Bruce Willis possesses no shortage of iconic roles in his illustrious filmography.
Sure, the 2000s saw a lull in quality parts, but there’s one underrated movie of his from 2005 that everyone needs to watch immediately: Hostage.
Hostage feels like an arthouse action movie
Directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, Hostage looks different from other action movies of the era. There’s a style and flair that was uncommon in American cinema at the time – apart from maybe the Wachowskis – as Siri injected a European arthouse approach into this film. This was no by-the-numbers templated affair; it was meant to set the mood and unsettle the audience.
That it did. Screenwriter Doug Richardson adapted Robert Crais’ 2001 novel Hostage, though he removed the strong mafia elements of the book to focus more on the teenage criminals in this movie. The story setup isn’t complex, but the emotions are.
After a failed robbery, three teenagers take an accountant and his family hostage. It’s up to esteemed hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) to diffuse the situation. This tale takes another twist after Talley’s past trauma forces him to hand over control of the situation to the department. He gets pulled back in, though, when his own family gets captured. As it turns out, the accountant had been laundering money for high-profile criminals, so the mob wants to deal with him in their own delicate way. All of a sudden, Talley isn’t only fighting for the survival of the people inside the house but also his own family.
The additional story layer adds a more personal touch, since every move Talley makes has extra consequences. It also doesn’t help that one of the criminals inside the house is triggerhappy and willing to risk it all.
Bruce Willis and Ben Foster steal the show
What stands out about Hostage is how invested Bruce Willis is in his character Jeff Talley. Like John McClane years before, it’s clear that Willis develops a clear attachment to this character. He isn’t phoning it in by any means. He loves the story and Talley, which makes all the difference to the role.
Screenwriter Doug Richardson confirmed as much too. “He was on time, thoughtful, prepared, rehearsed both on and off the clock, and unlike many big movie actors, shot all sides of every take,” Richardson told Script Magazine. “No matter the stature or experience of the actor – veteran thesp or lowly day player, Big Bruno was there for every turn of the camera. And not just that, his mere presence usually inspired every performer to up his game.”
One actor who rises to the occasion is Ben Foster, who plays one of the hostage-takers Mars Krupcheck. While Mars’ accomplices don’t want to engage in violence and feel as if they’re in over their heads, Mars embraces the chaos around him. He turns into a sinister antagonist who wants maximum carnage and can’t be reasoned with. He’s the wild card, since Talley’s job would have been much easier had he not been present. Yet, he embodies the adage that you can’t negotiate with terrorists.
Hostage is the movie that announced Foster’s potential to the world. He often gets lost in the discussion about the most talented actors of his generation, but his turn as Mars demonstrates that he deserves all the plaudits and knows how to play emotionally raw characters better than most. There’s no disputing that ability is there, but his representation in Hollywood is lacking. Especially since he went for Hostage to the trash heap known as X-Men: The Last Stand in a year.
Hostage didn’t get the love nor money it deserved in 2005
Hostage wasn’t a cheap movie to make by any means. According to The Numbers, it cost $75 million to produce and only managed to rake in around $77 million at the global box office. Undoubtedly, Miramax Films mustn’t have been happy with those numbers.
The film wasn’t a critical darling either, only securing 35% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. However, the audience seemed to like it more, with 62% of viewers giving it a thumbs-up, so take from that what you will.
Yet, if there’s something we have learned from 2000s movies, it’s that they’re only appreciated years later. Something like Hostage doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional blockbuster, choosing to chart its own course, and that might have isolated audiences at the time. Looking back now, there’s no point negotiating it, because it’s a fact: Hostage is one of the best action-thrillers of 2005 and a sublime addition to Bruce Willis’ filmography.
