Sueurs

Director Louis-Pascal Couvelaire has created a gem in Sweat.

Starring Jean-Hugues Anglade who has been in other classic flicks, Killing Zoe 1993, Nikita 1990, Maximum Risk 1996 and Leon The Professional 1994.

Also starring is Joaquim de Almeida who has been in other classic flicks, Fast & Furious 5 2011, Behind Enemy Lines 2001, Desperado 1995 and Clear and Present Danger 1994.

I enjoyed the desert scenery, the cinematography and the violence.

If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic truck flicks, Monster Man 2003, Hush 2008, Road Kill 2001, Jeepers Creepers 2001, Jeepers Creepers 2 2003, Road Train 2010, Joy Ride 2 Dead Ahead 2008, Octane 2003, Duel 1971, Race with the Devil 1975, Sorcerer 1977, Roadgames 1981, Mad Max: Fury Road 2015, Wrecker 2015, Heist 2015, Below Zero 2021, Ambulance 2022 and Speed 1994.

The film is a take on old adventure movies of the seventies, usually featuring Lino Ventura or other French heroes. The beginning is quite slow and even boring : the characters lack dimension and the direction shows off a bit in the Michael Bay tradition (something that will make nowadays movie look dated in a short amount of time.) But after the first half an hour, the film picks up, the characters gets some interest and you wind up really engrossed in this chase, though the scenario remains by-the-numbers. JH Anglade & company all bring out their hysterical best and, in the unnamed country where the action takes place, there are enough weirdo characters (The gas station owner.) and strange happenings to keep you on your seat. The final image is a great way to end a movie which just keeps on gathering speed until the end. Definitely worth a look.

I choose to see this film because I'm an Air Traffic Controller, and the review mentions an ATCO as one of the main characters... The action takes place in a North African country. A gang robs a gold container at the airport ,a good reason for the ATCO to be involved. He is also 'the brain'... They have to bring this cargo to the coast through the desert on a huge truck . So you get two additional characters : the truck driver and the mechanic. The last part of the trip is a large mine field. To go through, they need a guide, a native girl (or supposed to be) This gives room for a lot of violence between the protagonists, hate-love relationship, betrayal every other minute.. They try to revive the famous HG Clouzot film, "le Salaire de la Peur", but with machine guns and a sort of "Mad Max" atmosphere. Just boring....

If you crossed Wages of Fear with Killing Zoe you might end up with something like SWEAT. The plot involves four crooks who hi-jack a truck load of gold from an airport.Then they drive it across the desert. The North African desert, to be precise. They drive that truck over an endless vista of sun baked sand dunes. The location photography is stunning. As the heat works on them the men start to turn on each other. (Maybe there is a bit of Treasure of Sierra Madre in there too.) Jean-Hughes Anglade gives another of his patented ferocious Frenchman performances. Joachim de Almeida plays the Air Traffic Controller who plans the heist. The director shoots everything as if he were overdosing on amphetamines. The editing is similarly jagged. But the overdose of style clashes somewhat with the material.I had to watch it twice to digest all of the information thrown at me. Still a great thriller in the Gallic tradition, complete with excellent downbeat ending.

Let us make things clear: that film is NOT to be watched with your girlfriend; NOT to be watched by former Air Traffic controllers and NOT to be watched on Sundays and religious holidays. You come home at 8 p.m., you have worked hard, you are dog-tired - that is the perfect atmosphere to watch Sueurs. Much was said about the cinematography (great, indeed), about the actors, the desert itself. But, you know, what makes this a real gem is its perfect balance. "Arty", manic moments mix with furious action, greed turns into violence, west transforms into east and back again. Can't say there is much more to the film than pure style, though.