From Paris with Love

OPENING: 02/05/2010

STUDIO: Lionsgate

RUN TIME: 92 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Two agents. One city. No merci.

Opening Statement
Following up the surprise box office success of the Liam Neeson vehicle Taken, director Pierre Morel and producer Luc Besson return with the John Travolta actioner From Paris with Love. Alas, it ranks as one of the lesser achievements of almost everyone involved.

Facts of the Case
James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Match Point) is an intelligent and talented employee of the US Ambassador to France. However, he would love nothing more than to receive a promotion to Special Ops. One day, he finally gets his chance. If he can spend a day with top-dog CIA Agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta, Get Shorty) and earn Wax’s approval, he’ll move up in the ranks. That task proves to be a lot more challenging than Reece initially expected, as he’s forced into one violent and deadly situation after another by the psychotic-yet-masterful Wax. Will he survive the day?

The Evidence
From Paris with Love is cinematic junk food. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I enjoy a bit of cheese every now and then. However, this experience offers so little in the way of entertainment all that’s left to contemplate is the film’s sheer lack of brains. Borrowing the rampant xenophobia of Taken and melding it with the plot of Training Day (minus the realization that the corrupt, crazy, violent guy needs to be taken down), it somehow manages to avoid the positive qualities of both films.

I can only wonder what inspires Pierre Morel to make films in which vengeful Americans plow down nameless victims of every other race and ethnicity without being subjected to any form of guilt or criticism. I was able to tolerate this in Taken, as Liam Neeson’s intensely focused performance overwhelmed any concerns of political correctness (read: if you kidnap Liam Neeson’s daughter, you gonna die). In From Paris with Love, the killings don’t seem motivated by righteous rage so much as a general love of making foreigner’s heads explode. There’s definitely an icky aftertaste, as this "all foreigners are evil… no, seriously, EVERY SINGLE ONE," mentality is pushed so far the film nearly enters the realm of comedy. Nearly.

Morel’s film might have actually reached that minor goal, if it had taken a cue from Travolta’s performance. The actor treats this material precisely as it should be treated: as a ridiculous piece of rubbish that provides a perfectly good opportunity to overact without consequence. Travolta turns his ham-o-meter up to 11 and lets loose, doing an even wilder version of the hyper-acting he did in The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. It’s not exactly his best work, but it’s certainly entertaining to watch (particularly when Travolta cheerfully nods at Pulp Fiction with his hearty declaration of love for the Royale with Cheese).

The rest of the film: not so entertaining. Every other element of From Paris with Love takes itself so seriously. This becomes truly agonizing at times; never moreso than a sequence near the end which attempts to create an emotional moment, but instead displays the silliest scene I’ve witnessed since that bit in Echelon Conspiracy where Shane West shuts down an evil computer by passionately reading portions of the U.S. Constitution. The action here is typical and tiresome, save for a mildly inventive moment when Rhys Meyers attempts to avoid a never-ending series of falling bodies as he follows Wax up a spiral staircase.

Closing Statement
While From Paris with Love never quite manages to become "I-want-to-gouge-my-eyes-out" unwatchable, it’s recycled at best and repugnant at worst. If you’re just curious to see Travolta at his absolutely goofiest, consider waiting until the movie turns up on cable rather than wasting your hard-earned money on a theater ticket.

The Verdict
4/10

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

OPENING: 06/12/2009

STUDIO: Columbia Pictures

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

SOUNDTRACK:

The Charge
"Life is simple. They just have to do what I say."

Opening Statement
Joseph Sargent’s 1974 thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three still holds up well as a satisfying motion picture. Featuring crisp direction and strong lead performances from Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, the film is an immensely entertaining if somewhat dated viewing experience. New York City has changed a great deal over the course of 35 years; a fact that Tony Scott’s new take on the story certainly reflects. Though not as memorable its predecessor, this version of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (yes, this title uses actual numbers) serves as yet another engaging slice of stylish entertainment from a very reliable director.

Facts of the Case
Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is a low-key train dispatcher just trying to get through another day, finding ways to economize time, making up for losses in train schedules, and attempting to keep everything safe and well-organized from his control room. Suddenly, one of the trains is hijacked by a team of terrorists/criminals/evildoers/bad guys. The team is led by Ryder (John Travolta), a charismatic yet dangerous man demanding to be given 10 million dollars within one hour. If his demands are not met, he will kill one passenger every minute until he gets his money. Despite the attempts of a highly-trained hostage negotiator (John Turturro) and the New York City Mayor (James Gandolfini) to get involved, Ryder refuses to communicate with anyone but Walter, leaving the lives of dozens of people in the hands of a single dispatcher.

The Evidence
I’m generally not a fan of MTV-style action movie editing, but I make an exception for director Tony Scott. His hyperactive energy is tempered by a focused sense of order and a knack for good pacing. Compare one of his 90-cuts-a-minute scenes with a similarly frantic film directed by Michael Bay, and you will see the difference between a man who knows how to stage a coherent action scene and one who doesn’t. His films rarely approach greatness, with the possible exception of the thoughtful thriller Crimson Tide, but I almost always enjoy his efforts. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is no exception.

The screenplay by Brian Helgeland — who also penned Scott’s Man on Fire — manages to fuse high-stakes action with quite a few religious elements, particularly themes of guilt and redemption. Helgeland grants his characters a surprising complexity, by imbuing all the major players with past sins. I won’t reveal the details, but suffice it to say there’s a lot of cross-carrying, condemnation, and salvation weaving through this thing. Scott and Helgeland are a little more savvy about it than they were with Man on Fire, a good film which succumbed to severe overdoses of heavy-handed symbolism. In Pelham 1 2 3, such elements generally seem to enrich the characters rather than burden them. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not dealing with a Bergman film here, but it’s nice to see an action movie that actually has something to say other than, "Bang Bang! You’re dead!"

Not to worry, though. We still get plenty of action and the film maintains an impressive intensity for the vast duration of its run time. During the hour in which Walter and Ryder negotiate their way through a turbulent situation, Pelham 1 2 3 is in top form. Scott eases up just a bit on his distinct visual style, occasionally slowing down for lingering close-ups, whenever the situation calls for it. There are also some unusually effective editing choices, as the camera chooses unexpected focus points. Scott gets a lot of mileage out of something as simple as routine reaction shots, and impressively manages to highlight some of the cast’s subtle (and not-so-subtle) character suggestions. It has been said an actor is only as good as the director allows him to be in the editing room, and Scott knows how to make a performance.

This is the fourth collaboration between Scott and actor Denzel Washington, who have created quite a successful partnership. Washington dispenses with his recent high-volume intensity, in favor of creating a more understated character. Returning to the modest, everyman quality he played so effectively early in his career, his performance contrasts nicely with Travolta’s enjoyably hammy villain. While Robert Shaw played a rather cold and calculated character in the original, Travolta once again plays up the monologuing attention-seeker we saw in Face/Off and Broken Arrow. It’s a savvy intelligence mixed with a somewhat needy childishness, a combination which makes perfect sense when you discover the character’s career background. I also quite liked James Gandolfini as a scandal-plagued mayor who could care less about his reputation or getting re-elected. When an aide suggests the mayor should take advantage of the hostage situation as a way to build up the goodwill of the people, Gandolfini sniffs, "I left my Rudy Giuliani suit at home." John Turturro is refreshingly low-key, while the wonderful Luis Guzman is completely wasted as Travolta’s primary sidekick.

Closing Statement
Hijacking a train in 2009 is a considerably different process than hijacking a train in 1974, as is the filmmaking process. I found it intriguing to consider Pelham 1 2 3‘s prediction of how such a scenario would play out, in contrast to the postulations of the original. Perhaps 35 years from now it will be remade again, to provide us with yet another look at how a changing world and changing tastes affect the crafting of a nuts-and-bolts action thriller. This version isn’t perfect (the final dose of action is a bit too familiar for my tastes, and I’m not entirely sold on Travolta’s ultimate plan), but it gets the job done. In a summer full of giant killer robots, superheroes, and apocalyptic battles, it’s nice to get an action flick that actually seems to take place in the real world.

The Verdict
8/10

Bolt

OPENING: 11/21/2008

STUDIO: Disney

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
A hero is unleashed.

Opening Statement
This latest flick from the folks at Walt Disney shows some signs of promise for the studio. Disney’s animated films of the past decade or so have been rather lackluster, both in the 2-D and 3-D animation departments. Films like Home on the Range and Chicken Little just haven’t been offering audiences much to get excited about. Now that Pixar heavy hitter John Lasseter is overseeing things, there is a sign of hope. Lasseter is only credited as an executive producer here, but his influence is more than evident. Bolt isn’t quite a Pixar-caliber motion picture, but it wants to be, and it’s a huge step in the right direction.

Facts of the Case
A teenage girl named Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus) is in trouble. Her father has just been kidnapped by the evil Green-Eyed Man (Malcom McDowell, A Clockwork Orange), and she can’t go back home. Penny determines that she’s not just going to run and hide. She’s going to do everything within her power to get her father back, even if it means taking on all the Men in Black who work for the Green-Eyed Man. After all, Penny has a secret weapon on her side. That would be Bolt (John Travolta, Get Shorty), a genetically-enhanced dog with remarkable superpowers. Together, Bolt and Penny are going to beat the bad guys and save the day!

At least, that’s how things are going in the television series that Bolt and Penny are filming. Unfortunately, poor Bolt does not realize that he is in a television series. In an attempt to get as much “realism” as possible from the proceedings, the director (James Lipton, Inside the Actor’s Studio) has done everything necessary to prevent Bolt from knowing that he’s just acting. Until now, each episode has gone smoothly. The bad guys try to hurt Penny, Bolt saves Penny, and everything is just fine and dandy by the time each episode concludes. Then the network decides to throw a cliffhanger into the mix. They separate Bolt from Penny until the start of the next shoot, which sends Bolt into a panic. He has to get Penny back!

Through a series of odd events that I will not reveal here, Bolt finds himself lost in New York City. Penny is all the way on the other side of the country, in Hollywood, California. He has to get back to her, and he thinks it will be easy. After all, he’s a super-dog. He has no idea that he has been aided by talented special effects teams all this time. Joining him for the journey are a couple of new friends: a cynical cat named Mittens (Susie Essman, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and a hyper hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton). Will these three amigos be able to complete their cross-country mission? Will Bolt be reunited with Penny? Will Bolt learn that he isn’t really a Superdog before he gets himself hurt?


The Evidence
Despite a plot that relies heavily on Hollywood humor, the film valiantly remains free of the sort of obnoxious pop culture references that have damaged so many animated films in recent times. Despite a lot of slapstick humor and goofiness, the film manages to offer up reasonably complex characters who are genuinely sympathetic. Despite the presence of big names like John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, the film largely avoids celebrity stunt casting in favor of casting actors who are capable of nailing the specific role (Susie Essman and Mark Walton are superb picks for the two largest supporting roles). The film achieves a lot more than I expected it to, and I’m pleased to finally be able to recommend a Disney animated film again.

The story is a well-oiled machine. Film-within-a-film elements aside, this is pretty traditional stuff that is handled with skillful professionalism. Carefully measured doses of comedy, action, and drama are mixed in to create a satisfactory viewing experience. It’s a film that has enough energy and color to keep the kids happy, but also enough intelligence and depth to make the film a satisfactory viewing experience for adults. The animation here is quite solid, and the action scenes are simultaneously amusing and exciting. I might say that the film does a nice job parodying action movies, but I’m not really sure that such a thing is possible anymore (Hot Fuzz is an exception). Considering the sort of preposterous stuff we see onscreen these days, I don’t think that “fake action” in Bolt is terribly far-fetched… which kind of makes it even funnier.

Sure, the story is a bit on the predictable side. You can see most of the plot developments coming around the corner. There are also a few too many silly supporting characters… it seems like the film has a desire to introduce us to a new duo or trio of goofballs each reel. These problems pale in comparison to the attributes.

Closing Statement
Bolt may be a bit formulaic, but the formula this time around is much more effective. Nobody has quite reached Pixar’s level yet… but between Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda and Disney’s Bolt, is evident that the other studios are finally realizing that telling a good story actually works on both a critical and commercial level, and I hope it is a sign of good things to come in the future. This one is a fun family film.

The Verdict
8/10