I am sure she is not his daughter. I had the idea that he brought her with him from a mission in Africa but with what intentions? First to rescue and then to use her? Or did he want to use her from the very beginning?
Another thing: James says to her that she knows Wallace from photographs. However, to Wallace he says You know my Lilah. From the place James originally found her? 
So many questions. 

I've seen it twice now, and just like some of you mentioned before: I did expect something a little different, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I'd agree that Lilah is not the daughter of James and that she must have some sort of experience with weapons and being in a fight. But apart from that, anything else is mostly still in some kind of a blur for me.
But what I know for certain: I do like the dark and forbidding atmosphere of the film, I like the emotions that can be seen in Benedict's face, I like the look on his face at the very end.

And I suppose that they all had a hell of a time shooting this film, just because I think that it's great for an actor to be part of a little dirty movie like this one, with lots of blood and violence and danger.

I think Wallace didn't want to take care of the girl because he thought it wasn't for a few days. He suspected that James was in a big problem and that he probably was going to die therefore he was going to have to take care of Lilah forever. And that is not a very "little" favo(u)r to ask.
As for Wallace's shock at the end, I'm not sure if Lilah was or was not James' daughter but either way I think Wallace didn't expect her to be so well trained in combat and so insensible to violence.

I had the impression that he screwed up the date because of his meeting with James. And Becky was pissed. 
As for his "home" - this was really strange. Sort of factory or warehouse. But he had quite an expensive car. 
I watched it with subtitles. When he enters the house with James a voice is heard saying "SF operators are not expendable". So I suppose he must have been with some special force during his time in the army. But I do not really know what to make of it. 

Try the subtitles, Mattlocked. They show the voices in his head as well. 
And I agree with all of you that he feared to become responsible for the girl in case something happened to James. IMO the art object in his flat shows that he has not come to terms with his past and that he would not be able or ready to care for a child. 

It is actually a bit sad to have nothing but cold pizza in your fridge. 

I think the favour James asks Wallace for is a set-up.  He needs to draw out the cell group and plant the unassuming vulnerable female child into their mix.  He uses Wallace to achieve this by handing over Lyla to him and then uses contacts to relay this informtion (guy in the car when all those people are running by).

Now the questions:  Is Lyla is daughter? If yes..lots of I love you and kisses and hugs for a jaded unemotional child warrior being given and received from James. Plus the exchange of recognition from Lyla and Wallace. If No, what father trains their daughter to be a child warrior?
 

Ah okay some of your questions have been answered by Adam/Paul/Benedict in earlier interviews and discussions about the film so maybe I can help you all out

Wallace's character is supposed to be recently returned from the war, suffering PTSD and struggling to re-adjust to civilian life. This is reflected in the voices he hears, the place he's living, his difficulties dating and also his hesitance in taking on the responsibility for someone else's child. Also, how quiet he is - he barely speaks in the beginning and when he does it's after a long pause like he's trying to find the right words or decide how it's appropriate for him to respond. He's barely, as someone has already said, able to take care of himself and he's really struggling mentally and emotionally, so I found it no surprise that the idea of being responsible for a child would be terrifying for him. You can also see his PTSD struggles in how wary he is of his environment. He peers around the wall into the alleyway very suspiciously until he's confirmed that the person waiting for him is James. Benedict's portrayal was really excellent in that way, I thought.

Also, I read an interview where they mentioned the film touching on child soldiers. Benedict commented that not many people realise that 40% of child soldiers are female. I remember this quote because I remember thinking "Who cares about the gender, it's a CHILD!"

As for your other questions - they are also mine. I sent a really long rambly OMG SO MANY QUESTIONS message to Susi on Tumblr about it

I'm unsure if Lilah is actually James' child. I strongly suspect she's not and that he's 'rescued' her from Afganistan only to use her when he gets her home. I was as confused as Wallace as to what was going on though. I think James used Lilah and set Wallace up so that he could draw out the 'bad guys'. James knew that Wallace could stand up to whatever they dished out and also that he wouldn't reveal anything, so he basically just sent him in to take a beating. James' coldness in using a child soldier was a little terrifying. Also, the fact that James had saved Wallace's life meant the favour was owed, so I guess that's another reason to use him.

As for the end, I don't agree with Miriel that Wallace was more confused about Lilah. I think he was struggling to work out what was going on, what was real, who was friend/foe. He was confused that Lilah turned out not to be a 'child' but a killer, James was there all along, there were voices and memories going on in his head and he'd just had the shit beaten out of him. I'm pretty sure I'd be confused too

I couldn't get a handle on who the 'bad guys' were and what their agenda was. I've only watched it once and I might try watching it again tonight with subtitles. There was a lot going on in a very short space of time and I'm positive I missed stuff!

Here are some thoughts: 
Lilah as a child soldier - according to the voice Wallace hears in his head he was a special forces operator. So where has he been? Afghanistan? Iraq? Do they employ child soldiers there? Lilah looks African to me. Where did James meet her if he was not her father? I guess that he and Wallace have been fighting together at some time. But James seems quite established while Wallace is still new in his civilian life. 
James mentions a bad deal got worse so I suppose that he is involved in criminal dealings and his partners or accomplices have turned against him. 
But you are right, Wholocked, that it is very difficult to plan all this ahead and foresee the reactions of people. On the other hand James seems to know Wallace quite well and definitely knows which buttons to press. 

Solar - ah, the curls. I think they helped a bit to make them that curly. But it is a nice touch how his hair changes from slicked down to a total mess and thereby reflecting his physical condition and state of mind. 

Mattlocked wrote:

SolarSystem wrote:

.... To me there seems to be a bit too much of 'everyone knows in advance how everyone else will react' - apart from Wallace, he's the only one who hasn't got a clue.

I think nobody knew anything in advance but James and Lilah.

I'm not so sure, I'm under the impression that the bad guys were pretty sure that James would eventually show up once they'd taken the child and Wallace.

Mattlocked wrote:

SolarSystem wrote:

And of course the weirdest questions tend to pop up in my head, so: does Benedict get Sherlock curls as soon as his hair gets sweaty or wet? Or were his curls just tamed in the beginning of the movie by putting product in his hair?

 
Everyone who has/had curly hair and tried to get rid of the curls, but then has to step out in the fog or rain, should easily be able to answer that question.

Last edited by SolarSystem (November 6, 2013 9:57 am)