Pierre Morel proves once again that he is an action director that others would be hard pressed to beat. With his initial directorial effort DISTRICT 13 he showed how the ballet like sport of parkour could yield something new to the genre. TAKEN showed that you could have an older than usual central tough guy (Liam Neeson) who could take on all comers. And now he adds a twist to the buddy guy action flick genre and does it well with FROM PARIS WITH LOVE.
Jonathan Rhys Myers stars as James Reese, a mid level bureaucrat attached to the ambassador in France. He’s the go to guy to make sure that things get done pronto. At the same time, he longs to be involved in the spy game, doing work on the down low for a mysterious voice on the phone. But it’s all small things like changing plates on cars in the parking lot. Until his latest assignment.
Reese gets a call one night telling him to pick up a special agent, his new partner, at the airport where he’s being held by customs. Enter Charlie Wax (John Travolta). Charlie seems to be the obnoxious American, slamming the French and attempting to bully his way through. Reese comes to his aid and the pair set off. It turns out the behavior was a charade, Wax’ way of getting his gun past customs.
But the night is young and this IS Paris. Wax has Reese take him to a Chinese restaurant where suddenly after dinner he accost the waiter which results in over a dozen machine gun toting staff members to come out gun blazing. Once taken care of, Wax coaxes the waiter into showing him where the group was hiding cocaine.
The night continues as the duo follow this same waiter to the big man in charge which results in more gunplay, this time in a circular stairwell and a mannequin factory. Yes, this movie uses more ammunition than a police firing range on test day.
Through it all Reese wonders just how crazy his partner is. And just what is going on that result in the multiple shootouts he finds himself in. First Wax tells him it involves the daughter of the Secretary of State who got into drugs. But in the end we find out that instead he’s trying to find a terrorist cell that smuggles drugs as a way to fund their operation. The group is planning something big but you don’t know what it is until the final portion of the film.
The movie, much like the explanations Reese gets, starts one way and ends another. All the elements of the comedic buddy film play between these two characters, the up tight button down guy who dreams of action and the play it as it comes deal with reality kill people left and right guy who takes things as they come. If you’re in a tight jam, believe me you’ll want the second guy at your side.
But Reese’ character changes, matures as he moves through the film though. Where he once thought it important to report in to his beautiful French girlfriend, he soon comes to realize there are more important things at stake. Like staying alive to get home to her. And the darker world of espionage comes to play in the latter half of the film, making it a touch more realistic than the usual buddy film.
Through it all the action is non-stop. If you thought TAKEN delivered a body count that seemed high you ain’t seen nothing. Bodies fall like crazy here and no one ever seems to question anyone involved in shooting them. And just as one scene finishes, another starts, the rest period between them lasting mere minutes. This film moves at an unrelenting pace that never gives you a chance to be bored.
Both lead actors turn in fantastic performances. Rhys Myers is great as the wanna be spy who learns what being one really means. And Travolta has a chance to play a character unlike any he’s done before, an over the top killer on a mission for the good guys who’s willing to do anything to get the job done.
If you’re looking for something a little sedate or the old fashioned James Bond type spy flick that deals with tuxedos and martinis then this film isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a spy who downs energy drinks and thinks nothing of shooting the next person through the door with an air of certainty that it has to be a bad guy, then you’ll love this film. For me it was tons of fun and a movie I know I’ll watch more than once.
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