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Powder Keg

  • 2001
  • Not Rated
  • 8m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
Powder Keg (2001)
ActionShort

January 13, 2001. Times war photographer Harvey Jacobs is wounded while witnessing a massacre at Nuevo Colon by terrorists. In a desperate effort, the United Nations sends a vehicle to get h... Read allJanuary 13, 2001. Times war photographer Harvey Jacobs is wounded while witnessing a massacre at Nuevo Colon by terrorists. In a desperate effort, the United Nations sends a vehicle to get him out, a BMW driven by the mysterious Driver.January 13, 2001. Times war photographer Harvey Jacobs is wounded while witnessing a massacre at Nuevo Colon by terrorists. In a desperate effort, the United Nations sends a vehicle to get him out, a BMW driven by the mysterious Driver.

  • Director
    • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
  • Writers
    • David Carter
    • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
    • Guillermo Arriaga
  • Stars
    • Clive Owen
    • Stellan Skarsgård
    • Lois Smith
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    5.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
    • Writers
      • David Carter
      • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • Stars
      • Clive Owen
      • Stellan Skarsgård
      • Lois Smith
    • 27User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Powder Keg (2001)
    Powder Keg (2001)
    Powder Keg (2001)
    Powder Keg (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Clive Owen
    Clive Owen
    • The Driver
    Stellan Skarsgård
    Stellan Skarsgård
    • Harvey Jacobs
    Lois Smith
    Lois Smith
    • Mother
    Javier Zaragoza
    • Paramilitary 1
    Luis Francisco Escobedo
    • Paramilitary 2
    Gilberto Barraza
    Gilberto Barraza
    • Paramilitary 3
    Alfredo Escobar
    • Begging Man
    Carlos Torrestorija
    • Police 1
    Marco Pérez
    Marco Pérez
    • Contra 1
    • (as Marco Antonio Pérez)
    Arturo Amaro
    • Contra 2
    Socorro Avelar
    Socorro Avelar
    • Contra Grandmother
    Ibet Reyna Campos
    • Contra Woman
    Carlos Álvarez
    • Police that Dies
    Gustavo Sánchez Parra
    Gustavo Sánchez Parra
    • Soldier with Radio
    Iván Rafael González
    • Contra Boy
    Marco Aurelio Contreras
    • Policeman Playing Domino
    Arturo Godínez
    • Police 2
    Dagoberto Gama
    Dagoberto Gama
    • Police 3
    • Director
      • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
    • Writers
      • David Carter
      • Alejandro G. Iñárritu
      • Guillermo Arriaga
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Follow
    7.3
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    Ticker
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    Ambush
    7.0
    Ambush
    Chosen
    6.8
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    Hostage
    7.2
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    Beat the Devil
    7.3
    Beat the Devil
    Star
    7.6
    Star
    The Hire
    7.4
    The Hire
    The Escape
    6.8
    The Escape
    Detrás del dinero
    5.7
    Detrás del dinero
    September 11
    6.9
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    Write the Future
    7.9
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Though action takes place in Nuevo Colon (Colombia), film was inspired by real Aguas Blancas massacre (Mexico).
    • Alternate versions
      On the 2002 official BMW FILMS DVD release of THE HIRE, a slightly longer edit of the movie can be found. There is an additional scene with Stellan Skarsgaard and some rebels assisting him. There are additional additions and extensions throughout the movie on the DVD.
    • Connections
      Followed by Star (2001)

    User reviews27

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Among the best of the The Hire commercials
    What makes this commercial really stick out from the others is the filming style, which seemed documentary-like. While I found this style a little annoying at first, I ended up actually enjoying it and liking the commercial for being different without being bad(like the one Ang Lee misdirected). The cinematography is very good, and gives us some great intense sequences. The acting is great, both by Clive Owen and Stellan Skarsgård. Owen must have gotten very much used to his character of The Driver by this point, so it's interesting to see him in a more emotional take on the character. Skarsgård is very good as the war photographer, and his final speech, though going very close to crossing over into being cliché, manages to work perfectly and arouse actual emotions in the viewer, rather than just being sappy, manipulative drivel(which this sort of thing almost always is). The action(the little there is) is great and the amount is just right. It's obvious that this was more about story and characters than action and thrills, and director Alejandro González Iñárritu pulls it off perfectly. It's rare to see something so short that manages to hold your interest without a lot of action and whilst managing to tell a story so beautifully and emotionally. While I prefer Ambush over this one, I think it's a great commercial. I recommend this to fans of the commercials and of this type of stories. 8/10
    helpful•5
    1
    • TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
    • Dec 3, 2004

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • BMW Films (registration req'd)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • The Hire: Powder Keg
    • Production companies
      • Anonymous Content
      • BMW Films
      • Zeta Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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