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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashlanders share seeds Camelot Theatre in Talent: This 'Sunset' is not as dark Ashland baseball players head to Mexico for inaugural 'Sister City Baseball Classic' Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Lithia Artisans Market opens its season this weekend in Ashland Education Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ashlanders share seeds Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Norman Christlieb James Ellis York Death Notices Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Oregon bows out Oregon State women come up short in second-round loss to Gonzaga Ashland baseball players head to Mexico for inaugural 'Sister City Baseball Classic' Raiders roughed up at Corban Ducks survive, advance High school Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Southern Oregon University Oregon bows out Oregon State women come up short in second-round loss to Gonzaga Raiders roughed up at Corban Ducks survive, advance Wiese scores 23 as Oregon State tops South Dakota in first round Voices Latest Stories Herb Rothschild: Donating with care Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Matthew T. Mangino: When is a confession not a confession? Letters to the Editor, March 20 Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Editorial Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Letters Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Columns Herb Rothschild: Donating with care Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Matthew T. Mangino: When is a confession not a confession? Jeffrey Gillespie: The return of the neocons Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories 4 Things To Do This Week Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Theater Camelot Theatre in Talent: This 'Sunset' is not as dark Ticket availability Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Music Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Community Blog: Change Your Thoughts - Change Channels For a good listen, talk to the Age Wise Age Well group It may take time to get used to, but there is life after Tidings Haiku Corner: Week of March 9-14 Barbara Presnell: Why poetry? And why do it now? Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar ... Ticket availability ... Herb Rothschild: Donating with care ... Ashland Calendar ... Ticket availability ... Herb Rothschild: Donating with care ... Movie review: 'The Gunman' misses the target By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> * Embargoed for Friday release. There have been a couple of taut, exciting films from French director Pierre Morel: the Parkour-filled “District B-13” and the first of the Liam Neeson “Taken” series. Those words “taut” and “exciting” won’t be a part of any discussions about his newest. In “The Gunman,” very loosely based on the Jean-Patrick Manchette novel “The Prone Gunman,” Sean Penn plays Jim, a private security contractor based in the trouble-plagued Congo in 2006, there to protect humanitarian groups, and people like Annie (Jasmine Trinca), the beautiful doctor that Jim happens to be sleeping with. There’s also Felix (Javier Bardem), a fellow who sets up all kinds of meetings for the humanitarian people and the security people. It’s hard to tell exactly what he does, but he never hides the fact that he also has an amorous eye on Annie. It’s also hard to tell exactly what Jim is doing there. He has a team of men, he’s heavily armed and he has a long gun set up in his hotel room, where he’s waiting for an order to take out a moving target. Who is giving that order? Why does he blow away the Congo’s Minister of Minerals? Who’s good and who’s bad? But before any questions can be answered, the words “eight years later” spill out across the screen. Jim is still in the Congo, working with a humanitarian group, getting clean water to the locals. But bad guys with guns and machetes suddenly come looking for “the white man,” and they obviously aren’t there for some afternoon tea. But remember, Jim knows how to use a gun. It’s revealed that he’s former special ops. He takes out the bad guys and gets away. But what appears to be the beginning of an intriguing (and taut and exciting) story soon loses its luster. Jim looks tired, as he should, since he’s a guy who’s trying to escape his violent past but keeps seeing it come after him. That would be fine if not for the fact that the film plays out in almost as tried a manner as Jim’s situation. The pacing plods where it should soar. He makes his way to London, where an old friend has no idea why anyone would be looking for Jim, but suggests that maybe their mutual pal Felix, who is in Barcelona, would know. But before Jim can board a Spain-bound plane, he starts seeing double, he gets dizzy, he suffers from some headaches, he goes to a doctor. “Hmmm, it looks like you’ve got incurable, untreatable post-concussion syndrome,” says the doctor. “Take these pills for your headaches, and try to stay away from stress.” That story gimmick in place, Jim gets to Barcelona, finds Felix, who’s living the good life, then finds that Felix is now married to Annie who, to this day, has wondered why Jim just up and left her without a goodbye all those years ago. So what have we got here? Bad guys are trying to kill Jim; no one can tell him why; the love of his life is married to the guy who was once his rival for her. Sorry, this just isn’t a good place or situation for someone with stress issues. No worries. Even though Jim and Felix have a tussle about the past (and their “project” in the Congo), and Jim and Annie have a secret tumble beneath the sheets, and hoards of bad guys with guns come calling, and Jim and Annie make a daring escape, the stress issues have up and vanished. The script seems to have forgotten about them. No, wait ... he tells blissfully ignorant Annie about what really went on in the Congo, he’s chatted up by a helpful Interpol agent (Idris Elba, who has second billing in the film but is onscreen for about five minutes), and his condition returns, presented in ’70s cinema-style, with blurred images and muffled words as seen and heard from Jim’s point of view. It’s a gimmick that’s not needed and that never rings true. But you can’t worry about that because adversaries are closing in on all sides, and it looks like there’s going to be just enough time to move things over to the bull ring. Hey, we’re in Barcelona, let’s do some clichéd drama in a bull ring. This is a generic thriller that puts its protagonist through some tough paces, introduces and knocks off character after character, then floats away on an unearned ending that will soon be forgotten. Honest to goodness, I saw the film yesterday and I don’t remember how it ended. Must be all that stress. Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now. THE GUNMAN Written by Don MacPherson and Pete Travis; directed by Pierre Morel With Sean Penn, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba Rated R By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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