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From Paris With Love
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Lions Gate Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (7th July 2010). |
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The Film
 After the runaway success of “Taken” (2008), it was only natural to assume that director Pierre Morel’s next feature would get a sizeable push in American theaters. It did, but unfortunately that feature, “From Paris with Love” (2010), didn’t resonate with audiences as his last picture had. Maybe it was because the film was sold on the premise of a surplus of action, John Travolta playing an atypical badass - and not a whole lot else. “Taken” had the luxury of being a taut revenge thriller, something that tends to work well on viewers due to its fantastical nature – it’s something many of us have dreamt about at one point or another. At least, I know I do. But “From Paris with Love” seemed like it would just be a series of madcap shenanigans with Travolta blowing up or shooting everything in sight. The addition of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who is best known for television’s “The Tudors” (2007-2010), didn’t aid in generating widespread appeal for the picture. And, so, it came and went with little hype or fanfare. It’s a shame, though, because the film is actually a great deal of fun, playing up the outrageous action with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Less a serious action movie about terrorists and spies, this is more of a vehicle for Travolta to cut loose and entertain the hell out of the audience. James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), pulls double duty as personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France, and as a lowly operative for the CIA. He’s given a chance to join the ranks higher up when he’s given a simple task: pick up another agent and drive him around. The only problem is that the other agent, Charlie Wax (John Travolta) is a crass, loudmouthed, violent force of nature when he’s on the job. Reese suddenly finds himself caught between trying to make a name for himself within the organization and gaining acceptance from his fiancé, Caroline (Kasia Smutniak), about his cloak-and-dagger job he isn’t able to discuss with her. He does his best to try keeping Wax in line, but he learns quickly that’s far from an easy task because Wax does whatever it is he wants. I liked this film for what it was, but it’s far from being a thoughtful, well-written piece of spy cinema. Don’t expect this to rank up with some of the genre’s best offerings, but do expect to be extremely entertained when you watch it. I don’t know if it would have worked as well if Travolta hadn’t been leading the charge. Often times, it takes a powerful performance from an actor to bring a mediocre film up to par. I didn’t find much of anything outstanding here aside from his pivotal role. There is a twist that comes up around the halfway mark that I didn’t see coming, though I might have had I any inclination where the film was planning to go. Until that point, every scene appeared to be a simple set-up to showcase Wax’s unconventional methods. After it, however, the tone shifts and suddenly we’re in a film that isn’t quite as interesting, though, luckily, Wax still has enough tricks up his sleeve to help you forget about some of the shortcomings. I’m continually puzzled by the trajectory that John Travolta’s career has taken since he hit the big time back in the ‘70s. He’s seen more than his fair share of ups and downs, but it took Quentin Tarantino to give him a rebirth as hitman Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” (1994) before he ascended to the ranks as one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors. Since then, however, he hasn’t been doing a whole lot to earn the kind of pay he’s raking in. He’s still a great actor to watch on screen, and he’s had a slew of semi-memorable characters in those ensuing years, but I don’t think he’s had one as noteworthy as Charlie Wax in “From Paris with Love” in quite a while. Not for me, at least. This isn’t to say that this is another watershed role for him – it’s a one-note character contained within a simplistic film. But Wax is just so much fun to watch that I couldn’t help but to draw parallels between Wax and Vega. Heck, they even share a fondness for a certain French burger so famously quoted in “Pulp Fiction”. Since the box office receipts for this film weren’t so good, it’s unlikely we’ll get to see any future adventures of Wax, though Pierre Morel has expressed interest in interviews to franchise the film. I’d like to see more of this type of work from Travolta. He works best when he’s given unconventional characters, not those found in some of his recent duds like “Old Dogs” (2009). I’d complain about the fact that Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ acting comes across as though he’s sharp yet very hollow and bland, but I think a great deal of that was written for his character so that he would produce such a striking dichotomy when paired up with Wax. I’ve heard complaints that Rhys Meyers sports a horrendous American accent in this film but, since I’m not familiar with any of his other work; I don’t know how he normally sounds. Not very American, I’m guessing. I was pleased with the fact that his relationship with Carolina was an easy sell, not an easy feat when you consider that they share around 10 minutes of screen time before he’s off and running with Wax. The two have an immediate chemistry that gives their arc the emotional resonance it needs to be carried throughout the film. But when he’s not busy wooing his on-screen love, I didn’t find much to be excited about his performance. Sure, I’ll bet Rhys Meyers does a number on the ladies, but he can be downright boring when he’s left to his own devices. He doesn’t quite wander off into the realm of Extremely Boring Actors (where Channing Tatum reigns as king) – but he does have an unnatural, robotic quality to him that sucks some life out of what otherwise might’ve been a strong lead role.
Video
The 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image doesn’t make for a good demo disc, sporting a hazy picture and looking as dull and lifeless as Rhys Meyers. There is a fine sheen of grain present which borders on being obtrusive at times. Many scenes have a hazy look which might fit the Parisian locales, but it doesn’t do much for home theater enthusiasts who are looking for a sparkling image. Black levels, surprisingly, hold up well… most of the time. Some scenes, though, don’t look as inky and deep as they should. There isn’t a plethora of color used, so don’t expect any dazzling primaries to pop off your screen. A good majority of the film takes place at night, so dark tones are favored. Daytime scenes look marginally better, but the image is usually so devoid of anything eye-catching that you aren’t going to see much that stands out.
Audio
An English DTS HD-Master Audio 7.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit packs a wallop... and it damn well better! Wax spends nearly his entire screen time shooting everything from guns to grenade launchers, so the soundtrack needs to be able to get viewers right in the action. Many of the shootout scenes, particularly the first in the Chinese restaurant, assault listeners from all corners, enveloping them in rapid-fire gunplay. Likewise, explosions aplenty will have your LFE track roaring from each blast. On the more subtle side of things, the surround speakers are used to good effect when ambient sounds are required, such as during the large delegation meeting at the film’s climax. A French Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track is also included. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired, English and Spanish.
Extras
“From Paris with Love” might look like it’s stacked because it got the 2-disc treatment, but the majority of the extras are fluff pieces not worth wasting your time on, and the second disc is simply the ever-present digital copy disc. We get an audio commentary, a couple of featurettes, interactive games and theatrical trailers. DISC ONE: The "BonusView" audio commentary with director Pierre Morel is an interactive track which presents the director in a small pop-up window to discuss the film while it’s playing. He isn’t the liveliest man to watch, so I’m not exactly sure why he needed to be seen, but he does provide some good information regarding the shooting locations and directorial decisions. He’s a bit on the dry side, though, and obviously doesn’t have the same enthusiasm for commentating that some other directors possess. “From Paris with Love – Making-Of” (1080p) is a featurette which runs for 26 minutes and 41 seconds. Typical fare, this piece has interviews with the film’s major players in addition to showcasing some of the on-set shooting of some notable sequences. It’s a fairly lightweight look at the film’s creation, but there is some good information contained here. “Spies, Spooks and Special Ops: Life Under Cover” (1080p) is a featurette which runs for 16 minutes and 6 seconds. A more interesting feature, this gives viewers a firsthand look at some real life spies and their sensationalized jobs. Interviews are included with many former CIA agents while (unnecessary) clips from the film are played throughout. “Secrets of Spy Craft: Inside the International Spy Museum” (1080p) is a featurette which runs for 4 minutes and 26 seconds. Thanks to the overly zealous announcer, this comes off more like a promotional piece than something informative. This museum, located in Washington D.C., contains tools of the spy trade on display from secret organizations across the globe. “Friend or Foe Trivia Challenge” is an interactive game which asks viewers questions based on the film so they can earn points as an operative on a quest to become “the next Charlie Wax”. Why anyone would want to do this is beyond my comprehension. “Charlie Wax’s Gun Locker Featurette” isn’t really a featurette; it’s more like an interactive gallery. You can choose one of seven weapons from Wax’s arsenal, each with the option to gets specs, see a firing range demo, watch a clip from the film where it was used and Wax’s approval rating on it. It’s much lamer than it sounds. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 1 minute and 45 seconds. There are bonus trailers (1080p) included for the following: - “Kick Ass” runs for 2 minutes and 43 seconds. - “Tetro” runs for 2 minutes and 13 seconds. - “Killers” runs for 2 minutes and 23 seconds. - “Epix” promo runs for 1 minute and 4 seconds. Finally, Lionsgate Live is a BD-Live menu system which gives viewers “access to exclusive content, special offers, ringtones, and more!” Because, you know, I’d much rather be able to get a hip ringtone for my phone than something useful like having the studio spend the money they used to enable these features to pay Travolta to do a commentary. BD-Live constantly proves how useless of a selling point it is for true film enthusiasts. DISC TWO: This is a standard-definition digital copy of the film for portable Windows Media and iTunes devices.
Packaging
The 2-disc set comes housed in an eco-case with the discs on either side of the interior. A slipcover with artwork which replicates the cover art is included.
Overall
If you need your spy movies to be sharp, smart and introspective then I don’t think you should bother with this one. But if you’re looking for a fun, frenetic action flick with a stellar performance from one of Hollywood’s top actors, then you’re likely to enjoy “From Paris with Love”. The picture quality fell below my expectations, but it isn’t entirely disappointing. The audio, however, manages to mostly make up for it. And though the extras package might be a bit weak, there are still a couple of supplements worth checking out.
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