The Cold Light of Day 
U.S.A.
2012
Opening 3 May 2012
Directed by:
Mabrouk El Mechri
Writing credits:
Scott Wiper, John Petro
Principal actors:
Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver, Verónica Echegui, Joseph Mawle
When the Shaw family assembles for their yearly sail off the coast of Spain, Will’s (Henry Cavill) distraction over his start-up company is palpable. Josh (Rafi Gavron) and girlfriend Sally (Shira Scott Astrof) banter and joke, and Laurie (Caroline Goodall), grateful to have her sons for the week, tries to sooth escalating tension between Will and Martin (Bruce Willis). However, Martin has set the bar high for his eldest son. While at the helm though not paying attention, the boom swings suddenly, Sally is hurt, and Martin flings Will’s cell phone into the water. Under the pretext to get medicine for Sally’s forehead cut, Will swims to a small town hugging the shoreline.
With a new functioning cell phone, he returns to the beach, but the anchored sailboat is gone. At length Will finds it in a cove; he discovers onboard ransacked and deserted. The local police Capitán and men take Will to the boat, and then do the unthinkable; frantically trying to escape, it is Martin who comes to his rescue. Welcome to your nightmare, Will. During a frenzied drive to Madrid in the wee hours, Will learns his father really works for the CIA, and the others are being held hostage until a certain briefcase is returned. Martin’s arranged rendezvous with fellow operative Jean (Sigourney Weaver) goes terribly wrong: now it is up to Will to save his family. In the cold light of day, U.S. assassins intent on their goal and Spanish police for killing a colleague, hound Will. Help comes via beautiful young Lucia (Verónica Echegui), whose startling revelation is but another piece for the puzzle of who his father is.
Scott Wiper and John Petro’s smartly written screenplay under Mabrouk El Mechri’s direction is visually distinctive; it was shot on location in eleven weeks in Spain: Madrid, Alicante, Villajoyosa, Javea and Denia. The seasoned thespians – Willis, Weaver, Joseph Mawle (Gorman), and Roschdy Zem (Israeli commando leader) – speak volumes with a look, whilst the newbies hold their own. The Cold Light of Day is a fast paced thriller that can boast having the first “two-car-fight”, and as in many contests, the disadvantage in size does not determine the outcome. (Marinell Haegelin)
