From Paris With Love
The title From Paris With Love sounds like a romantic film set in the worlds most famous city for passion. Nothing could be further from the truth, and instead we have an action-comedy that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
Directed by Pierre Morel who created the 2008 spy thriller hit Taken, and a story idea from French action filmmaker Luc Besson (The Professional), the film involves James Reese (Jonathon Rhys-Meyers), a low-level secret agent for the CIA and aide to the U.S. ambassador of France, and his new partner Charlie Wax (John Travolta), a wisecracking veteran U.S. agent, who has been sent to assist James in Paris to stop a terrorist attack. Wax leads James on a shooting spree thru the Paris underworld and ends up saving him from the enemy.
The film starts with James meeting his boss, who describes his duties in Paris. There are some funny scenes when James first meets Charlie at the airport, who is being held by security who suspects he is a terrorist. When James convinces them he isn’t, he is soon shocked to see that Charlie has secretly put weapons inside energy cans, and from then on the duo have some hilarious scenes.
The mismatch of the two leads to some inspired action, such as a scene in which they fly down a staircase lined with bad guys, with Wax one floor ahead of Reece to clear the way, the latter horrified at the stream of bodies his partner keeps flinging over the bannister. When the two go to a Chinese restaurant Charlie knows that the owner is the leader of a terrorist group they are trying to catch, and says to a waiter, “I have a message for your boss – wax on, wax off!”
After stealing a vase from the restaurant containing drugs, Charlie and James locate the terrorists. Charlie has a great action scene where he knocks out the whole gang by himself, with a fearful James standing aside. When James realizes that his girlfriend Carolyn (Kasia Smutniak) has been a spy for terrorists, and is the suicide bomber, he thinks of his line of duty and sadly kills her to save the U.S. President.
The film ends before Charlie boards a plane back to the States. He and James play a game of chess, and both lie down their guns on the chess trolley, joking by saying they “Don’t play the game lightly!” Compared to Michael Bay, Pierre Morel paces his action better, entertaining the audience with spark-showering gunfights, a rooftop chase, and a bazooka on the freeway. Overall, Travolta and Rhys-Myers play great partners, and I would recommend this film to anyone looking for the perfect package of chases, shootouts, and comedy.
From Paris With Love • Dolby® Digital surround sound in select theatres • Running Time: 92 minutes • MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence throughout, drug content, pervasive language and brief sexuality. • Distributed by Lionsgate