Jonathan Rhys Meyers works for the American Embassy in Paris and is used to performing small surveillance/spying jobs. Yet he yearns to be a member of the big league: what is referred to as 'The Club' – a buzzword for elite government agents. He gets his chance when he has to go to the airport to collect a loud, foul-mouthed colleague – John Travolta in a totally unhinged performance – who's arrived in town on a drugs bust, but later uncovers a terrorist plot. Cue: lots of witty banter, beatings and shootings galore as a reluctant Rhys Meyer's gets in over his head with his apparently unstable partner.
As you can tell from the above short outline, if you're watching this thinking you're in for a soppy love story, you'd better brace yourself for the truth: this is a violent, foul-mouthed, headache inducing shoot 'em up. It's a simple action story where – stop me if you haven't heard this before – two mismatched agents argue and bitch the entire time while spouting witty dialog at each other. But don't let that put you off: this is a deliriously entertaining buddy movie in the mold of Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and a host of others, but with an added European flavor which serves to make it stand out from the crowd.
For a flashy, big budget movie, it's refreshingly old school. There's no dizzy 3D on display and whatever CG is present is so subtle as to be almost undetectable. In fact this movie could have been made in the late 80s/early 90s. What we get in their place is a movie that relies on the characters talking to each other rather than relying on big effects. This is like a breath of fresh air. Travolta and Rhys Meyers work really well together and are believable as the two mismatched agents: one a nervy and green rookie with no experience, the other a seasoned pro that tends to shoot first and then ask his questions. The script is very witty and there's lots of entertaining back and forth banter between the two of them.
Travolta is his typically over-the-top self in the movie - but in a good way. At times he's laugh-out-loud hilarious and puts in an energetic comedic performance. He's seems to relish the outrageous situations and the witty dialog. He runs through his familiar back catalog of high pitched 'Yeahs' and whoops and an assortment of swear words that wouldn't have been out of place in Pulp Fiction. In fact the aforementioned movie is even referenced in a throwaway line where he mentions that his favorite food is a 'Royale with cheese'. You know that an actor's recent output hasn't been of the highest quality when he has to remind us of former glories not just once, but twice: did he really think we didn't catch it the first time? Rhys Meyers is good as his straight faced, though bewildered sidekick and underplays his role to good effect. Admittedly, he has no other choice since he's playing to such a powerhouse role as Travolta's. It's clearly Travolta's show and he loves every minute of it. And why wouldn't he? This gives him the chance to play one of his most colorful characters in years.
There are lots of really good classic scenes in this movie, perhaps too many to mention: the airport interrogation room, a scene set in a Chinese restaurant and an encounter with street punks, to name just a few. The movie is brimming with entertaining moments and moves along at a breathless pace, effortlessly sweeping us in with it. So much so, in fact, that we fail to notice how
slightly
confusing
it
is
It's fair to say that this movie doesn't have your standard A-B-C plotting. Story-wise, it is - as they say - all over the shop. Still, when you're having this much fun that doesn't really matter.
It's a shame they couldn't have come up with a better title for the movie because the one they chose doesn't do it justice. While it works in the context of its Parisian setting, it may put people off. The unacquainted could unwittingly pass it up, thinking it's something else entirely. And that would be a shame because this is a highly entertaining and re-watchable gem of a movie with rapid-fire dialog and lots of preposterous situations thrown in for good measure. It's also got its share of surprises and twists. If you like witty buddy cop movies, then go out and see this, if for nothing else, then just to see Travolta back on top of his game in loud, dynamic form.
