It’s more than enough that firefighters risk their lives every day trying to rescue people out of burning buildings. But now imagine, in the middle of a blaze, that same person who was sent in to save people steps right into the middle of a crime scene – one where someone is about to be shot. Well, that’s what happens in the first sequence of director (and actor) Ramin Sohrab’s 2022 flick calledLayers of Lies,which is the first Iranian-Finnish action film ever produced.
With the fire raging and the sudden gunman not flinching, Sohrab’s Sam makes a decision that becomes the catalyst for a movie that was 10 years in the making. Chaotic opening moments become a great appetizer regarding the high intensity thatLayers of Liesbrings forth in its hour-and-a-half runtime. The fires are real (and not CGI). Oxygen masks are accurately deployed, and the camerawork is not afraid to get up close and personal with the danger being presented. But to keep up the hectic pace (associated with this genre of movies), there comes to be an unequal balance between arriving at the next heart-stopping moment and the untangling of Sam’s own backstory.
After receiving a sizable check from the victim, Sam leaves for Finland to find peace. There, he amasses a large lakeside property and falls in love with a woman named Emma Kashani (played by actress Jessica Wolff). When we see them together for the first time, they are casually sparring. This training session doesn’t logistically equate with the ruthless fighting style that the villains of the film exhibit later on.
Sam is also seen training at the very beginning ofLayers of Lies(in a brief flashback), striking a punching bag with a bloody fist. Since this was shown before the office blaze, the audience assumes that this inner frustration is from the fire that he himself was involved in when he was a child (which we only learn about later on). It’s never explicitly answered as to how or why martial arts is the coping mechanism forhis childhood trauma.
Fighting to Save His Wife
Layers of Lies
As the title implies,Layers of Liesdoes an excellent job keeping a fog around the true antagonist. Five years later, Sam and Emma return to his home in Tehran, Iran. But disaster strikes quickly ashis wife is kidnapped, and he must go on a thrilling and suspenseful adventure to find her.
While watching the many twists and turns of this movie, there is no question about the dedication behind thenumerous fight scenes. Whether in a simple back alley, a mechanic’s garage, or in the middle of a dance floor, the fights do not forget to take advantage of their surroundings in creative ways. Sam sends an attacker into a car repair pit, gets himself thrown into a fruit stand in another skirmish, and slides along the polished floor of a millionaire’s club in a brawl that replicates a swing-type dance.
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Not only is Sohrab the director, writer, executive producer, and lead inLayers of Lies, but he also does his own stunts that prove extremely useful for the viewer’s enjoyment. The seamless fluidity of the choreography feels reminiscent of Prachya Pinkaew’s award-winningOng Bakfrom 2004.
While theon-screen romantic chemistrybetween Sam and Emma works fine, as do the antagonist’s motivations (once they are revealed), the tone becomes disheveled at times. After fending off many henchmen, for example, Sam’s crusade is stopped by a simple trip (from one of the few remaining cronies), which sends him comically falling down a set of stairs. You would think a maneuver like that would be evaded by someone who was dodging and swerving many oncoming attacks just a moment ago.
Great Martial Arts but Subpar Writing
Abrupt and awkward scenarios like the stair fight scene might evoke a different type of reaction from the audience than was initially intended. In another situation, Sam is once again defending himself against two assailants (a bit unconcernedly) when the shot pans outwards to show the presumed main antagonist and his affiliates just watching from a balcony above. In that brief moment, the script knows why the main villain is not doing anything more to subdue Sam, but the viewer is left baffled at the pause, and the momentary intrigue that once revolved around thesupposed villain’s revealis watered down because of it.
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As stated, Sam and Emma’s relationship is not only the storytelling crux ofLayers of Liesbut also becomes a powerful tether for the climax of the film. Using a high-rise building currently under construction as the setting for the showdown between the main characters and his wife’s captors, emotions reach a boiling point as the mystery that’s been haunting Sam since his firefighter days is finally laid out for everyone to see. The conclusion is done perfectly and seemingly stacks insurmountable odds against our hero and his crusade. Even with some miscalculated choices of tone at times, Ramin Sohrab’smartial arts epicshould not be missed.
Layers of Liesis now available to stream on numerous platforms such as Google Play, Apple TV, and YouTube.
