The Cold Light Of Day DVD Review

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri

Starring: Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver

Running time: 93 minutes

Certificate: 12A

Following the announcement that Henry Cavill had claimed the title role in the Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot MAN OF STEEL, it was clear that THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY was Hollywood’s attempt to cement Cavill as The Next Big Thing. Unfortunately, Cavill is a man as wooden as he is handsome.

THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY is a paint-by-numbers thriller from little known director Mabrouk El Mechri (JCVD). The lightweight plot is desperately stretched over the longest 93 minutes you’re likely to endure for some time, and action veterans Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver serve up lukewarm performances while they wait patiently for their cheques to clear.

After his family are kidnapped while holidaying in Spain, young entrepreneur Will Shaw (Cavill) is confronted by those responsible and tasked with recovering a stolen briefcase in 48 hours.

Will is surprisingly easy-going for a man thrust into a world of terrorism, car chases and shoot-outs. Bruce Willis reveals himself to be a CIA agent! Will is unfazed. Brucey is shot! Will remains unfazed. Cavill’s limited emotions range from ‘mild interest’ to ‘running’, as he sprints aimlessly around the streets of Madrid. He later stops to aimlessly ride the bus around Madrid. He doesn’t have much of a plan.

Sigourney Weaver, who managed to enhance the enjoyable PAUL and CABIN IN THE WOODS with fleeting cameos, brings the mood down further as the ambiguous Jean. Clad in a questionable pantsuit, Weaver barely moves above a brisk walk as she shoots mindlessly. Her lack of motivation is understandable, as there’s little here for the audience to enjoy.

The action sequences are borderline ridiculous as Will falls from a building, bouncing off balconies, landing with less than a bruise. His sexy Spanish companion crashes her motorbike without even a ladder in her tights.  Even when Will is shot, this potentially fatal hazard becomes a mere 15-minute inconvenience. Ah, the rules of the blockbuster.

Even the look of THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY is horrible. Digital correction has been used full throttle to impossibly enhance the colours. This teal and orange look plagues a majority of recent Hollywood films and gives a fake and soulless feel, particularly disappointing as many exterior shots of Spain feel wasted. (If you’re unsure what I mean, check out #4 here).

THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY’s cardinal sin is that it’s so boring. Sure, there are worse thrillers and there have been worse performances, but there’s no fun to be found. Halfway through my viewing I found myself Googling pictures of Henry Cavill rather than watch his performance on screen. This says as much about how sad I am as how bad the film is, but the fact remains.

You can win a copy of THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY here, or waste your money here from Monday 10^th September.