6 Days (2017 film)

6 Days
6 Days
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Toa Fraser
Screenplay by	Glenn Standring
Produced by	Matthew Metcalfe
Starring	Jamie Bell; Abbie Cornish; Mark Strong; Martin Shaw; Emun Elliott; Ben Turner; Aymen Hamdouchi; Tim Pigott-Smith; Robert Portal; Colin Garlick; Andrew Grainger; Martin Hancock;
Cinematography	Aaron Morton
Edited by	John Gilbert; Dan Kircher;
Music by	Lachlan Anderson
Production; companies	New Zealand Film Commission; General Film Corporation; XYZ Films; Ingenious Media;
Distributed by	Icon Film Distribution (United Kingdom); Transmission Films (New Zealand);
Release dates	4 August 2017 (NZIFF); 3 November 2017 (United Kingdom);
Running time	94 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom ; New Zealand
Language	English
Box office	$316,946

6 Days is a 2017 action thriller film directed by Toa Fraser and written by Glenn Standring.^[5] A British-New Zealand production, it is based on the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London and stars Jamie Bell, Abbie Cornish, Mark Strong and Martin Shaw.

The siege situation is presented from three perspectives: that of negotiator Max Vernon (Mark Strong), SAS leader Rusty Firmin (Jamie Bell) and BBC news reporter Kate Adie (Abbie Cornish). The film was released on 4 August 2017 to mixed reviews and was subsequently streamed by Netflix.^[6]

Plot

On Day 1, 30 April 1980, six Iranian Arabs storm the Iranian Embassy located at 16 Princes Gate, Kensington in London and hold at least 26 hostages. Notable persons have been summoned by the incident, including SAS members led by Lance Corporal Rusty Firmin, BBC reporter Kate Adie, and Chief Inspector Max Vernon of the Metropolitan Police. The authorities receive a call from the terrorists' leader, Salim, demanding the release of 91 Arab prisoners in Iran, or else they will kill a hostage at noon the following day.

On Day 2, Max negotiates with Salim by phone, saying that Max will help him by any means to avoid violence. The SAS team prepares to storm the building just before noon, but Salim releases one hostage, due to illness. After Max brings food to the terrorists, Salim reluctantly agrees to extend the deadline by 48 hours, demanding safe passage to Heathrow Airport accompanied by ambassadors from the Arab League.

On Days 3 and 4, Salim calls again, demanding to speak with the ambassadors. Salim's right-hand man, Faisal, takes one hostage to be killed. However, the Iranian authorities refuse to be part of the negotiation. Salim calls Max, demanding to speak to the BBC, and Max reluctantly agrees. Afterwards, Salim reluctantly releases another hostage. Meanwhile, the SAS team prepare a plan for rescuing the hostages while they are aboard the bus en route to the airport, but this plan is vetoed by the Prime Minister, who is adamant that the government will not give in to any of the terrorists' demands, even cosmetically. Reluctantly, the SAS return to the original plan of storming the building.

On Day 5, as per Salim's demand, the BBC World Service broadcasts the terrorists' statement, giving the reason for their actions as the oppression by the Iranian government in Arabistan. Hearing the news, Salim thanks Max and releases two hostages.

On Day 6, Faisal kills a hostage after the demand of bringing the bus is not met. With that, Home Secretary Whitelaw authorises the SAS operation and Vernon is instructed to do anything to stall or distract the terrorists from the assault.

During the assault, led by Firmin, Salim and three of the other terrorists are killed, at the cost of one of the hostages and none of the SAS men, although one is badly burned on his left leg. While the hostages are being led outside, Firmin recognises Faisal hiding among them and shoots him in the stomach before Faisal can use a grenade. Outside the Embassy, the hostages are detained and searched, revealing the sixth and last terrorist trying to hide among them, and he is arrested. A shaken Vernon telephones his wife to reassure her that he is safe, and the SAS team rides back to Hereford, hearing the Prime Minister's effusive praise of them and the Metropolitan Police on the radio.

Cast

Jamie Bell – Rusty Firmin
Mark Strong – Chief Inspector Max Vernon
Abbie Cornish – Kate Adie
Martin Shaw – Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Dellow
Ben Turner – Salim (known as Oan Ali Mohammed in real life)
Emun Elliott – Roy
Andrew Grainger – Ray
Colin Garlick – John McAleese
Ronan Vibert – MI6 Spokesman
Tim Downie – Jimmy
Matthew Sunderland – Tom Lovett
Ryan O'Kane – Snapper
Michael Denkha – Mustapha Karkouti
Joel Beckett – Copper 3
Martin Hancock – Bill
John Henshaw – Police Spokesman
Tim Pigott-Smith – William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw
Robert Portal – Colonel Michael Rose, Commanding Officer of 22 Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS)
Colin Moy - Major Hector Gullan, B Squadron Commander
John Ramm – Tony Crabb
Jeff Szusterman – Male Translator
Jared Turner – Tommy Palmer
Fayssal Bazzi – Makki

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "6 Days effectively unravels its fact-based tale in the form of a taut—albeit unambitious—thriller that captures its era with a minimum of flair."^[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 36 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.^[8]

The Guardian described the film as "thoughtful, well-made, with a couple of excellent performances – and just a bit dull. ... The best scenes involve the SAS".^[9]

The Times gave it 4 stars and wrote the story "is given the action-movie treatment in this pleasing and unexpectedly thoughtful drama."^[10]

Radio Times gave it 4 stars and wrote it provided "us with a taut, detailed thriller that re-creates a significant chapter in the history of international terrorism."^[11]

Television journalist Kate Adie who covered the siege for BBC TV offered a positive comment about the accuracy of the presentation of her role. Journalism is not always presented so accurately in the popular media, she said. So, "in a way, this film shows something which was so unusual and it really gets it. It really does".^[12]