An Ordinary Man (2017) User Reviews (40)

Excellence...

[notom-23012 · 7/10 · 4 October 2017]

Ben Kingsley plays 'The General', a War Criminal in some unstated country hiding from those who would prosecute him for his crimes.

His only normal human contact is that of his 'maid' (Hera Hilmar) - an, initially, reluctant participant in the relationship.

Kingsley plays his part with equal indifference and suppressed savagery - though no explicit details are given of his 'atrocities' - you become quickly convinced that this is a creature capable of committing them.

Hilmars' portrayal of a person bound by circumstance is equally ambivalent. Initially repulsed by The General, a tenuous connection rears it's head.

There's very little in the way of 'action' during the entire film - this is not a film about actions, but about the consequences.

Watching he interplay between 'The General' and 'The Maid' is both fascinating and morbid - like watching a car crash in slow motion.

I heartily recommend this film for fans of Kingsley - but if you're expecting an action packed, explosion driven extravaganza of the more modern genre, you'll be disappointed. Hera Hilmar too, plays her part with a subtlety that shows the depth of her acting experience.

wrong protagonist

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 18 July 2018]

A former general (Ben Kingsley) is wanted by the international community for war crimes. He is being protected by his supporters. He gets moved again and gets new maid Tanja (Hera Hilmar). He is suspicious of the young maid who isn't good at cleaning or cooking.

This is following the wrong protagonist. Sure, Kingsley is the biggest actor here or most anywhere. That instinct only goes so far. He should not be the subject of the movie. Nobody cares if he lives or dies or captured. There is no tension without the rooting interest. Any possible rooting interest resides with Tanja. She should be the protagonist. The mystery of her intentions can be maintain and the reveal would actually mean something. The audience should be invested with her instead of him. The ending should have been shocking but it's met with a shrug and a meh. The idea of making this monster human could be compelling but it needs the context of the war. Without it, nobody can truly get a feel for him.

Good acting, but feel cheated by the ending

[digdilem · 5/10 · 5 October 2017]

I can't write this without a spoiler, so don't read on unless you are prepared.

An unusual film in several ways. The subject is difficult and a period of history not often covered by fiction. The often surreal Yorkshire accent of Kingsley doesn't add to the immersion of the subject and surroundings - everything is in English with English accents and actors. You do forget that though, and the acting is well done, subtle and you do develop a real care for the two main characters and how that relationship deepens.

Which is why the final five minutes makes me feel let down. No attempt to explain why she was shot - it didn't fit in with the tone or rest of the movie at all. Honestly, it felt to me as an excuse to end the film because there was no other way to stop things. The final scene shows Kingsley with a line of bullets in front of him - what's he going to do? Too many bullets for suicide, is he going to kill those who have kept him alive? If so, why?

The viewer is left confused. It's jarring and out of keeping, devaluing the investment in time they've put into caring about these people, only for the entire purpose of the film to be dumped without explanation or even hint.

Good One

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 5 July 2019]

This movie got everything you need - a good and unique story, good acting and a pro production. If you want action An Ordinary Man will bore you, if you want to watch something substantial with "real-life" characters living in strange and unusual but very realistic circumstances (a war criminal hiding from international authorities after the civil war in former Yugoslavia), this one may be a good one for you.

An Ordinary Man

[terryjohnhunt-381-403207 · 7/10 · 14 October 2019]

Have seen this excellent film with a 1st Class performance by both Ben Kingsley and the maid Hera Hilmar, kudos to both!

Great acting but went nowhere

[v-ley · 3/10 · 23 July 2018]

The title is a little baffling. It leads you to believe one way before watching then another after. The ending made absolutely no sense and was added for shock value, to me, totally unnecessary. We already have a messed up world now, knowing how truly awful the past was , this meant nothing to see him still alive in the end, regardless of what the film wants you to believe. I found the maid much more interesting and Ben as usual, totally engrossing. The concept could have been done much better, in my own opinion.

An Ordinary Man - Review

[jpe2 · 6/10 · 21 June 2018]

SPOILER: The ending allows for many interpretations. Seems Milo executes Tanja for disobeying orders. It's not clear why the paper says he's been captured while he's still in his apartment with a gun on the table in front of him. Have his protectors decided it's too burdensome given his self destructive behavior or have they cut some sort of a deal in conjunction with the EU Ministers visit. Have they given him the option of taking his life or has he requested this as an alternative to being turned over for trial. Watching more carefully might provide clues to answer these questions...

Faltering chamber drama with assured performances

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 21 July 2018]

An American drama thriller; A story about an infamous war criminal living in one of the states of the former Yugoslavia who spends his life on the run from international authoritiesand discovered by a young woman whom he makes his new maid. An artistic choice was made to have the characters speak in their native accents, and in particular for Kingsley to produce a North Lancashire/West Yorkshire English accent which allowed expression to come freely. But, despite a riveting performance from Kingsley the script is a let down. It struggles to find a groove and remain plausible and no number of surprises in the plot changed that. Motivating an audience to understand a genocidal person bound by circumstance is troublesome if the audience gains no real insight into the character's feeling.

Excellent actors

[henrycoles9 · 7/10 · 18 January 2020]

Hats off to Ben Kingsley and Hera Hilmar. After "The Ottoman Lieutenant" blew my mind I wanted more of them both, especially Hera. She is such a gem!

An aimless drift

[samabc-31952 · 4/10 · 10 October 2020]

Fall of communism in former Yugoslavia in 1991 and that follows by 10-years long wars. and many war crimes such as mass murders, ethnic cleansing were committed. Most of these war criminals were then brought to justice by international tribunal. One of them was General Ratko Mladic. The main character of the story is loosely based on Ratko Mladic. Movie feels paint dry with no definitive focus. An aimless drift.

It is a great movie if you just think a little bit

[bobbyebadi · 9/10 · 21 June 2018]

Spoiler alert, do not read my review if you have not watched the movie: Most viewers do not get the story, so they find the ending not satisfactory. It is because unlike most movies in our generation, this movie asks you to think deeply about what you have watched. This story is about a war hero, someone too risky to kill, because many people still love him. They do not want him to be captured by the enemy either, so they kept him alive in a home and watch him closely. They hire a beautiful young girl, telling her that she is a bodyguard to protect the general, but the truth is she is just a lamb planned to be killed later to break the old man's heart. The beautiful girl melts the man's heart, giving him a new desire to live and enjoy life, he starts to feel and to seek an emotional connection with his surroundings and his unfinished past personal life. It is when they execute her in front of him, leaving him with despair and guilt. so the general decides to commit a suicide. A famous general, a man who can not be killed, still can be killed easily by love a young beautiful woman, just another ordinary man...

"I'm everywhere and nowhere. I'm a myth."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 29 June 2021]

One almost knows from the start where this picture is heading by virtue of the title cards that set up the story line. An unnamed General (Ben Kingsley), knowing that his days of freedom are numbered, allows himself to be routinely moved from one location to another to avoid capture by a small band of zealots. While settling in to his new apartment, a young woman shows up identifying herself as a maid, and immediately becomes suspect to the General's suspicious mind. Tanja (Hera Hilmar) gradually wins his confidence, and after a certain point, they become friendly, but without a hint of romantic involvement. The General's assurances that he is invisible as a ghost to those who would see him punished for his war crimes come off as somewhat naive, since his visage is prominently painted on a village wall for all to see. For her acquiescence in allowing the General to move about publicly, Tanja pays an ultimate price, while the fade away at the conclusion leaves no doubt that the General will not be captured, contrary to newspaper headlines already printed to the contrary. For his actions, the General will pay a price too.

It's like that prom date that pukes on your lap at the end

[joeyford-55342 · 3/10 · 29 June 2018]

Nope. Ben and the girl who plays his maid do a good job making this blah script interesting until the whole thing becomes a pile of poop at the end. Seriously, worst ending to any movie since THE AFFAIR. I would not recommend this to anyone. The movie meanders its way around a sorta plot with daily grind and a smile here and there for about 80 minutes until it goes off the rails and becomes a depressing mess. Do not rent this. Do not watch it on free TV. Just change the channel. OH, and if this dude was suppose to represent a shadow of the Serb General after the Bosnian conflict, that dude set up rape camps and killed children by the hundreds so .. not a character I can root for. Just an awful mess here. Skip it!

mesmerizing performance

[byron-116 · 6/10 · 27 June 2019]

Where it not for Ben Kingley's mesmerizing performance that maintained my attention, the film could have used a faster pace.

Psychological

[sergelamarche · 6/10 · 31 January 2022]

The film has no tension without the good acting of the actors. The situation is strange and it takes some time to understand the danger. The very end explains a twist and why the girl had to be dispatched.

Waste of talent

[fmwongmd · 3/10 · 6 November 2018]

Pity Ben Kingsley such a waste of talent. Scattered pointless story. We can do better!

You wont miss anything NOT watching it. Quite tedious.

[imseeg · 5/10 · 28 January 2022]

Mwah, I expected a dangerous storyline. But what did I get. Tedious talking scenes between Ben Kingsley and his maid. Both living in former Yugoslavia and speaking fluent English. Weird.

Not any good? Well, the acting performances are quite well. How couldnt they be, because Ben Kingsley is a masterful actor. Too bad, the story is so incredibly boring...

Keeping It Real

[Astaroth22 · 4/10 · 1 October 2020]

Look, there's no doubt the acting was decent. However, despite this, I was struggling to keep from nodding off at times. If not for that ending (the shocking & unexpected types I really enjoy), I don't think I could have even given it three stars. And so, if you're watching and not dozing then you are doing a whole hell of a lot better than I was that's for sure. As far as the ending goes, it's quite obvious. People who don't seem to understand or are continuing to guess at what happened is what's really baffling.

The effects of isolation on a hunted war criminal

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 24 November 2018]

Writer and director Brad Siberling offers a very strange essentially two character film that immerses the viewer in the terror - and humor - of isolation, demonstrating how the presence of a companion allows connection in a world that no longer makes sense. Filmed in Serbia the actual languages and change sin viewpoints (and accents) can be confusing at times, but this not the point of the film - simply an observation.

In the opening screen remarks we are informed that War Criminals are usually caught in time, except one, this one: The General. And apparently the area of location is Yugoslavia and we meet the General (Ben Kingsley) being escorted to yet another hiding place by his handler Miro (Peter Serafinowitz). When the General is dropped off at his current safe house he encounters Tanja (Hera Mimar), a maid, who provides the responses to the General's endless chatter. Tanja is his only connection with the outside world and the various walks and endangerments they face form the crux of this mysterious story.

The acting by Ben Kingsley (sporting a confusing but consistent strange accent) is brilliant. A stylish, dense, and in many ways illuminating film about the effects of war on the individual.

Watching paint dry.

[bombersflyup · 1/10 · 29 June 2019]

An Ordinary Man is the dullest film I've seen in a while.

It has a terrible premise and terribly executed. Kingsley's all me, me, me. A bunch of time's spent trying to get you to care about the girl, only to have her shot for no reason. Doing what he forced her to do, the end.

My maid won't allow it.

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 27 November 2017]

Ben Kingsley plays a Serbian general wanted for war crimes. He is supported by a core group of friends as he hides in plain sight. Hera Hilmer plays his "maid" who is hired to watch over him. Things are closing in for the General, something which he doesn't want to face or believe.

The film is a drama with Ben Kingsley on the screen in an ego-fest two person play. He doesn't really say anything about life worth repeating, although I am sure he thinks so. This will be one of the forgotten Ben Kingsley films. No regrets if you skip the film.

Guide: F-word. Nudity (Hera Hilmer)

Boring and unrealistic

[knoxchem · 5/10 · 27 December 2020]

The story had a potential, which it did not develop. Too many silly dialogs, too many melodramatic scenes; unrealistic actions and an unbelievable main character. The acting was good and probably the directing was decent. It is the screenwriter who failed. Too pity. All in all, it is not catchy. I could not watch it after the first half.

Boring !

[hkpt · 1/10 · 18 October 2020]

Real waste of time.

This is a surreal art movie produced by Kingsley for self gratification. Movie was deliberately dragged to 2 hours by following Kingsley continuously on an average day.

Worth watching. Kingsley is his usual brilliance

[gabriel-888-977884 · 8/10 · 23 July 2018]

Not quite sure why there are so many negative reviews. Everyone seems to want it to be about retribution and not just a snapshot on a period of a fictional war criminals life.

I found it well acted and a good story which unfortunately could have been set in a number of countries around the world. Enjoy it for what it is.

Vomit inducing

[amirknezevic · 1/10 · 6 March 2018]

I really have a hard time understanding what prompted Ben Kinglesy to take part in this NaziFascist vomit-inducing piece of garbage.