Classified
Directed by Roel Reiné
Written by Bob DeRosa
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Tim Roth
Rated R
Runtime: 105 minutes
Available digitally on October 22

by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

Evan Shaw (Aaron Eckhart), the protagonist of the sleek action thriller Classified, is first seen deciphering a code from a newspaper, recovering a suitcase, checking into a hotel, and setting up to assassinate his mark—as delegated to him by Kevin Angler (Tim Roth) who operates out of a CIA bureau in Malta. It all goes like clockwork. Shaw is a consummate professional.

And, as he takes a moment to stop and think back on his late wife Monica (Marysia S. Peres), he also tells the bartender that he’s not interested in Kacey (Abigail Breslin), who appears to be interested in him.

Eckhart, making another in a string of forgettable action films—see also: Chief of Station, The Bricklayer, Muzzle, and Ambush, or don’t—has a strong presence in these scenes. He exudes the cool-as-a-cucumber demeaner of a hit man dispatching two guards with aplomb. He even capably staples a wound he received on the job while taking the shower, where he also sets the paperwork for the job on fire. Such a multitasker!

But then, on his next assignment, Kacey unexpectedly shows up in his hotel room, and reveals that she is from MI6 and knows all about him. Apparently, Shaw doesn’t know that Kevin is not with the CIA and the hits he has been paid for have all been politically or financially motivated. Shaw is shocked—not that his poker face expresses it—and does some investigation to confirm what Kacey says is true. Reluctantly, Shaw teams up with Kacey to figure out what is true, and who is behind all this subterfuge.

Alas, it is as exactly at this juncture in Classified that the film starts to go south. There are reams of expository dialogue that keep viewers from the promised action. And when the action does come, the shootouts are as low-key as they are low budget. It is as if more money was spent on the fabulous European locations than the action set-pieces. There is also a big reveal that Kacey’s real motivation for seeking Shaw out is because (spoiler alert!) he is her father! But once this news comes to light, the film does not bother much with father/daughter bonding, a missed opportunity.

Director Roel Reiné may have been too busy working as the film’s cinematographer and composing the film’s music. Amusingly, Reiné Shipping is also the name of one of the offices Shaw enters. But Reiné is not a good multitasker! His film lacks tension, and the action scenes feel forced. The fight choreography is lazy and uninspired. Stage an attack on a balcony so someone can fall off it. Check. Have a man stand in front of a pool so he can get shot and fall into it. Check. The film also unfolds at a punishingly slow pace. When Reiné toggles back and forth between past in present, these moments provide unnecessary distractions.

In the second half of the film, Eckhart starts to look fatigued, as if he has given up. He is too good an actor to be slumming here. At least Tim Roth has only a few scenes. He makes Kevin oily just by speaking. But it is hard to believe Shaw does not see through him. Classified would have been more interesting if Shaw did know he was being used for nefarious gain and wanted to participate anyway.

In support, Abigail Breslin injects some life into the film as Kacey. She tries to get to know her dad—looking through his journal and engaging him in between shootouts and running from the bad guys. She does her best with a thankless part, and even gets to attack a few baddies as viable.

Ultimately, Classified plays out like the body GPS Shaw is equipped with by his handlers. It works well in the beginning, and it is fun to watch him go through the motions, but once he goes off-mission, things go sideways, never to recover.