Brightest Young Things

There’s a moment in From Paris with Love, the new action thriller directed by Pierre Morel, where the Badass Spy and Embassy Dweeb are discussing the mayhem they caused. Badass Spy, “I think I [killed] 26 guys. That’s more than a guy an hour.” Buried in this throwaway line is the key to sitting back and enjoy the fun. Badass Spy speaks the same language countless gamers speak when they discuss their violent successes. Like many first person shooters, it’s best not to focus on story shortcomings or plot cohesion, and instead bask in the silliness of kinetic violence.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays James Reece, the Embassy Dweeb who excels at chess and dreams of becoming a field agent. Apparently his Parisian apartment and hot girlfriend (Kasia Smutniak) are not enough. Immediately before she proposes, the Ambassador (Richard Durden) gives Reece the chance he’s always wanted. Charlie Wax (John Travolta), aka Badass Spy, is stuck at the airport, so Reece must help Wax clear customs and further assist in any way he can. Turns out Reece assists Wax by carrying a cocaine-filled vase (see below) and helping kill anyone who crosses their path. They run around Paris and leave  implausible destruction in their wake. This takes a considerable toll on Embassy Dweeb, as it turns out his girlfriend is part of a terrorist cell (I hate it when that happens). He and Wax have a final goal, I guess, but by the halfway point I stopped paying attention to the plot. Who needs international intrigue when you have bald* John Travolta in a car chase with a motherfucking bazooka?

Morel also directed last year’s Taken, and while his latest effort lacks the gravitas of Liam Neeson, it’s quite the hell-ride. The action scenes are competently directed if not especially original. Directors like Paul WS Anderson and Michael Bay too often rely on quick cuts as a substitute for well-choreographed action. Morel, on the other hand, edits his scene at a brisk pace, and his shots are just long enough to establish the battle lines. It’s completely unrealistic, to be sure, yet it makes just enough visual sense so the action never devolves into chaos. There are still a few clever moments, such as when Wax finds creative use of a suicide bomber vest.

The male leads embrace the silliness of the endeavor. Travolta has had his share of duds lately, and brings manic zeal to his role. It’s always nice to see him relax as drop f-bombs. As Reece, Meyers is a good foil – his sincerity and dorkiness are a nice counterpoint to Wax’s uncouth demeanor. They have an ongoing conversation about the sacrifices of spy-dom that is responsible for the movie’s funniest lines.

By now you’ve surely decided whether From Paris with Love is worth your time. It’s a pure genre exercise, and at a lean 90 minutes, doesn’t overstay its welcome. I’m sure those who enjoy this sort of thing will have a good time.

* From Saturday Night Fever to Grease to Pulp Fiction, it seems Travolta has the most fun when he has a striking hairdo. Next time I’d like to see him in an afro.