A Taliban member kills three U.S. soldiers in a canyon in Afghanistan, is detained and tortured, and escapes en route to a snowy eastern European detention center. Now, in a foreign climate and without the proper gear, the terrorist faces a brutal struggle both with the foreboding environment and his pursuers. Respected Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing" is minimalist filmmaking with a lower case size 4 font. Vincent Gallo barely speaks in the lead role and while it is exhilarating to a point watching this scenario play out in a firsthand manner, it also grows a bit redundant. Watching a terrorist in the protagonist role like so is also unsettling. "Essential Killing" has its merits but does grow thin. It is the kind of film where people criticize you for not seeing so much in so little.
