By Susanne Robbins

As you all know I usually walk into these reviews having an idea of what I am about to see. Well with this one I thought I did but I was wrong. For once the trailer does not give away every plot line in this film. It leaves a lot of the back story for the audience to figure out as you are watching. Is it predictable? Oh of course in parts it is but to be honest that was ok. Do you know who the bad guys are? Of course they make no play to hide them, even the few you are not supposed to suspect you still suspect, but to be honest this too is ok. It did not take away anything from the scene, nor did it make it any less intense, maybe it actually strengthened them, made them better more edge of your seat type of feel.

The plot is very involved and it is hard to tell you too much without giving it away. As I said before the trailer does a great job of giving you a taste but not letting you take a whole bite. One of the best parts of this film was the UN itself. Much of the film takes place there and it is amazing to see what happens in the event of a security breach (don't worry it isn't plot line oriented it happens at the beginning of the film). As I read the crew filmed at the UN on the weekends. I could be wrong and please tell me if I am but I believe this is one of the first films to actually film inside the UN. Ok, ok, back to the movie. As we all know from the trailer Sylvia Broome, played by Nicole Kidman, overhears a conversation to assassinate a foreign leader and it is to take place at the UN. When she comes forward to confess what she has heard she is met by Tobin Keller played by Sean Penn. Keller is an FBI agent hired not to protect Sylvia but to see if her story is actually true. What he begins to unfold however is a past that Sylvia would have liked to leave buried precisely where she left it, in the past. Tobin becomes frustrated when Sylvia seems to have more pieces to the puzzle than she is willing to part with. As he slowly puts her past together she begins to trust him, although never really revealing everything. The film does a great job of keeping your interest and maybe even finding times of doubting yourself. All along you begin wondering if you truly do know who the bad guys are, or if there is another waiting in the wings.

As usual Kidman gives and A+ performance, her character is real, genuine and at times she appears to be stronger than any of the agents protecting her. Sean Penn did not knock my socks off, and that is rare for me to say. He was a little too sappy; I know three words that rarely go together Sean Penn Sappy. I will tell you though he teared up more than my best friend did during beaches. Catherine Keener is as always superb, so much so we tend to gloss over her. The one awful plot line in this film was the forced relationship between Kidman and Penn. Why? Why do we always have to go there, it wasn't needed at all, the two share a commonality, and they have both lost a lot in their lives and are in pain because of it. That should be all you need. It was the weakest part of the film and even garnered a few laughs from the audience. Other than that little fact this film is definitely worth the price of admission, hell throw in the popcorn and a drink, yes it is just that good.