John Frankenheimer's 1998 action opus pretty much slipped under the radar on release – I'm lucky to find someone who's heard of it, let alone seen it. That's a real shame because this is definitely in the top five action movies of the last ten – maybe even twenty – years. Packed from beginning to end with twists, double-crosses, triple-crosses, tons of action from shoot-outs to car-chases, effortless cool and a great cast, this is a superb movie. David Mamet's uncredited influence is clear in some of the wicked spy stuff that De Niro indulges in – like the photographing, for instance – and the script crackles with electricity throughout. Sean Bean also turns in an extended cameo and has some brilliant fireworks with De Niro near the start – it's a definite shame that his character shortly disappears, never to be heard of again.
The film is set in France (and what with THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE TRANSPORTER, and MAXIMUM RISK also being set in those shores, it's a safe bet that France is the place to be for any aspiring action flick) and deals with a band of hired men, required to retrieve a suitcase from unknown villains. Only problem, its heavily guarded and never leaves the wrist of an important businessman. Soon enough the film is chock full of shoot-outs at Roman ruins and two flamboyant, amazingly powerful car chases, full of stunts, incredible driving, and some quite brilliant smashes and pile-ups. The cast is great; De Niro doesn't seem to make an effort yet his charisma shines through, and this is my favourite performance of his even over the likes of TAXI DRIVER. Jean Reno is underused but effective. Add to this the beautiful but icy Natasha McElhone, the sinister-eyebrowed Pryce and a subdued turn from Starsgard as a businessman type, and you have a heck of a film well worth the watch. Extraordinarily underrated, this is one of my favourite action thrillers ever and one of the best films of the 1990s.
The film is set in France (and what with THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE TRANSPORTER, and MAXIMUM RISK also being set in those shores, it's a safe bet that France is the place to be for any aspiring action flick) and deals with a band of hired men, required to retrieve a suitcase from unknown villains. Only problem, its heavily guarded and never leaves the wrist of an important businessman. Soon enough the film is chock full of shoot-outs at Roman ruins and two flamboyant, amazingly powerful car chases, full of stunts, incredible driving, and some quite brilliant smashes and pile-ups. The cast is great; De Niro doesn't seem to make an effort yet his charisma shines through, and this is my favourite performance of his even over the likes of TAXI DRIVER. Jean Reno is underused but effective. Add to this the beautiful but icy Natasha McElhone, the sinister-eyebrowed Pryce and a subdued turn from Starsgard as a businessman type, and you have a heck of a film well worth the watch. Extraordinarily underrated, this is one of my favourite action thrillers ever and one of the best films of the 1990s.