From Paris With Love: A High-Voltage Ride Through the City of Light

When buying a ticket to a movie with “Paris” in its title, filmgoers typically expect to see one of the most exquisite cities in the world captured by the most expensive cameras under the Hollywood sign. We expect grand aerial views of the Champs Elysees, the Louvre bathed in afternoon sunshine and the Eiffel Tower looming brilliantly in the night. This ironically named film takes a been there, done that approach to conveying the intoxicating beauty of Paris, and instead replaces the beloved cliché of Parisian romance with automatic weapons and the allure of lights along the Seine with automotive explosions. While this film is neither a tourist’s brochure for France’s capital nor a specimen for film historians to extol in years to come,  From Paris With Love is well worth your francs.

In a refreshingly uncharacteristic role, Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays James Reese, personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France with a side job as a low-level CIA operative. Determined to become a full-fledged agent, Reese jumps at the chance to undertake a senior-level, anti-terrorist assignment, that is, until he meets his partner. John Travolta is Charles Wax, a wisecracking American intelligence ace quite comfortable provoking fights with thugs and engaging in high-stakes shooting sprees. Together, the mismatched team spends the first half of the ninety-two minute movie brandishing heavy artillery as they wreak havoc on the Parisian underworld.

Reese, befuddled at first and dreaming of his desk job as he washes blood from his face, heeds Wax’s advice to “roll like a secret agent man” if he wants to be one. He only hopes his fiancée will understand that getting a promotion means standing guard as his partner liaises with a prostitute. A moment of comic relief occurs when Reese maniacally pummels a man just to access a cell phone charger so he can explain his suspicious whereabouts to his worried femme fatale.

The mayhem never ceases to be an exhilarating ride from one wonderfully choreographed chaotic scene to the next. Director Pierre Morel (Taken) stages the action marvelously, stylishly filming the brutality of each fire fight and adrenalized car chase. Travolta was especially impressive as he showcased moves on a par with those in Saturday Night Fever, and wielded a bazooka like a madman clearly enjoying himself. Though Meyers gives a commendable performance, it’s eclipsed by that of Mr. Travolta who even gets away with a not so subtle tribute to Pulp Fiction as he relishes a Royale with cheese.

Despite a lack of dramatic urgency, a predictable twist, and a tinge of campiness reminiscent of Tarantino, From Paris With Love delivers a highly entertaining jolt of cinematic caffeine with a shot of feel-good espresso to dip your éclair into.

3.5 stars out of 5