Bastille Day Film Review

Director: James Watkins
Year: 2016
Rating: 6.0

Aka - The Take

A standard Buddy action film lifted out of the conventional heap by a good cast starring Idris Elba and Richard Madden. It is nearly non-stop action, thrills and conspiracies leaving the audience with no time to think about how ridiculous it all is. Elba plays an American CIA agent with a reputation for breaking the rules. We have seen that a hundred times in other films but it's usually a cop. His job is fighting terrorism and no door, car, suspect or law will stand in his way. He is a one-man wrecking crew on the streets of Paris. But he is Idris Elba cool with that British accent, so stomping on individual rights can be overlooked. The other side to the Buddy Formula is Madden, a low life sneak thief and pickpocket, but a very good one. He could steal your underwear while you were wearing them and you would never know. And then put them back on you.

One evening he steals a bag from a woman (Charlotte Le Bon) who is crying on the steps. He doesn't know it but inside that cute teddy bear is a bomb ready to go off. It was meant for a political rightwing office but at the last minute she could not do it. He ditches the bag finding nothing of value and it goes boom. Four people killed. His picture captured on CCTV. The CIA office realizes that he is an American and want him before the French security gets him. They put their best man on the case. Idris Elba. Of course, there is the one asshole in the office who wants to go through regular channels, but our man Idris won't have any of that. There is a terrific foot chase between him and Madden across the famous rooftops of Paris that was a gut check for someone like me who is afraid of heights. I never can quite figure out how much is real and how much faked but it looks real enough for my stomach to say so.

After bringing Madden to an offsite to question him, Idris realizes that Madden is speaking the truth especially after Madden picks his wallet, takes out the money and puts it back. Fagin would be proud. I was once pickpocketed. This was in Rio on Copacabana in the daytime. Not quite as subtle as Madden. A very large transvestite grabbed me and held my arms while her confederate took out my money. I went up to a cop and told him and pointed to the two "women" and he laughed and told me to keep walking. In the opening scene we witness how good Madden is as a pickpocket as he pays a woman to walk down the steps outside of the Sacré-Cœur naked to distract people as he picks their pockets as fast as a bee goes from flower to flower. The bomb turns out to be a distraction too. Bastille Day is coming up and someone wants chaos to rob a bank. The bank of France. But first they want to kill the girl and Madden and Idris wants to protect them. Some good action scenes along the way.