By Thomas Ferguson

Spy and political movies have never been my forte. I find them dull and overly complicated. Only a handful of movies in this genre have given me the slightest of interest, most notably the Bourne films. The new movie The Hunting Party has flipped this genre on it’s ear and given me a whole new reason to sit up and take notice.

Loosely based on a famous Esquire magazine article, The Hunting Party tells the story of three photojournalists who find themselves in the middle of a Bosnian war. Simon (Richard Gere) is a has been photojournalist who is desperate to return to the glory of his heyday. He believes he has the story that can bring him back, but he needs the help of the only photographer he trusts. Duck (Terrance Howard) is the seasoned cameraman that spent many years in the trenches with Simon, but things have radically changed for Duck. He has a cushy job at a network and is about to go on vacation with his beautiful girlfriend (Joy Bryant).

Simon believes he has the location of the most wanted terrorist in Bosnia. No one has been able to find this war criminal. Not the C.I.A., the United Nations, or the Serbian government. Simon talks Duck into accompanying him up the mountain to the location where he believes “The Fox” - the terrorist’s nickname- is hiding out. He is traveling under the guise of wanting an exclusive interview, but in reality, he wants to catch The Fox to collect the five million dollar reward that has been offered for his capture. Along for the ride, is a photojournalist-in-training named Benjamin (Jesse Eisenberg),who is being shown the ropes by Duck.

Before long, the three are mistaken as C.I.A. operatives and every criminal in the area is now looking for them. A cat and mouse thrill ride with an abundance of dark humor.

This movie played out like a MTV video. Very in your face drama, action sequences, and cinematography. One of the most stylish films I’ve seen. It starts with a bang and keeps you trapped for nearly two hours. You can’t look away. Terrance Howard can basically do anything. He shines again in this role. Richard Gere is one of our most underrated actors. He gives the performance of his career in this film. Lastly, fairly new actor Eisenberg was absolutely sensational. There is a torture scene near the end that blew me away. He was so believable and so intense that I couldn’t blink out of the fear of missing something. A star on the rise.

A well shot, acted, and executed movie that entertains on many levels.