From Paris with love Shooting the best video for The Offspring, now film director McGee is able to cause different and contradictory feelings with his works. Very wonderful "Charlie's Angels", nobody needed the fourth "Terminator", completely helpless and miserable "So, war", but now after cooperation with Besson, it is safe to say that McGee shot his best film (it is worth waiting for the promised full director's version, but already this is the best work in his directorial filmography).
Branded Bessonian-French action was successful. And although the film is not as tense-dynamic as “Hostage” with “The Carrier” and not as Balagur-cheerful as “From Paris with Love”, the film is still head overhead than Besson’s latest projects, such as “Hostage 2”, “In advance”, “Colombiana” and “Malawita”. We can say that Luke finally pleased us with what we expected of him, for which we love him. Here he again, as the author of the plot, worked with Adi Hasak (helping Luke, by the way, with the already praised “From Paris with Love”)
At first glance, some kind of double show looms here. Kevin Costner plays Liam Neeson, Amber Heard in Milla Jovovich, the main villain is very charismatic Richard Zammel builds himself Christoph Waltz, well, McGee himself builds not that Morel, not that Yuen, not that Besson himself. But Costner is really unrealistically cool in the role of a special agent, Amber is great in almost any of her ways, and Zammel turned out to be memorable villains, for the entire film without even doing anything, only appearing in the frame with a severe mine on his face.
After a stunning prologue, which came out even more successful than the final shootout and the car chase preceding it (still, McGee does not know how to shoot action too much..., the chase is just rubbish, except for the moment with the bus that preceded it), the movie suddenly comes to life dramatically. In the center of the plot is not just a special agent with a deadly tumor, forced to kill for a dose of medicine, but a father and husband who disappeared from the family, from the life of his child and beloved woman for five years, and then suddenly came up with lilac great and fatherly care.
The script is full of amazing comic moments that do not make sense to list and retell, they must be seen. For the sake of an example, it is worth at least remembering the moment when before a severe fight Costner steps on the next bodyguard along the corridor, harsh looks, growing tension, and suddenly the whole situation is broken by a pop song on the phone - the daughter calls. Or how Costner and Amber Heard find out whether the “mustache” was captured at all, in general, it is all necessary to see and hear! Such incredibly successful and rusty moments in the picture of the sea, and at the same time they do not make the film a comedy.
As for the family side of the internal conflict, very correct dialogues are also to be praised in the picture. Some incredible luck for the picture becomes a cowardly character-snitch, forced to cooperate with the main character, surrendering all sorts of villains, and helping him in the education of his daughter, because the two same teenagers at home. And a large dose of soulfulness to the tape adds a large family of “homeless” blacks who settled in the apartment of the main character, while he for many years participated in secret operations, not visiting the house.
Cinema rich and exciting, achieving a perfect balance between drama and action, very lively and soulful in the right moments. Excellent dialogue and a chic script here pull even not very outstanding directing, although McGee is clearly trying to maximize opportunities, and Luc Besson squeezes and knocks out of him this most creative peak of his clipmaker talent. I want to watch this movie again and again, always having in the collection. Not a masterpiece, but really bravo!
8 IS 10
(for the director's version, hopefully 9 out of 10)
Original