Plot
In Paris, a young employee in the office of the US Ambassador hooks up with an American spy looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city.
Release Year: 2010
Rating: 6.4/10 (45,139 voted)
Critic's Score: 42/100
Director:
Pierre Morel
Stars: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak
Storyline James Reece is an ambitious aide to the U.S. Ambassador in Paris, doing little jobs for the CIA and hoping to get into black ops. On the night he and his girlfriend, Caroline, become engaged, he's told to pick up Charlie Wax at Orly. Charlie is an unorthodox government employee - large, bald and bearded, foul-mouthed and eccentric. Charlie immediately takes James on a wild ride of murder and mayhem, through ethnic enclaves. As bodies pile up, the purpose remains opaque to James. Caroline, unhappy that James has been out of touch for a day, tells him to bring Charlie for dinner. Charlie can be charming - where will it lead? Does the chess-playing James have what it takes?
Writers: Adi Hasak, Luc Besson
Cast: John Travolta
-
Charlie Wax
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
-
James Reece
Kasia Smutniak
-
Caroline
Richard Durden
-
Ambassador Bennington
Bing Yin
-
M. Wong
Amber Rose Revah
-
Nichole
Eric Godon
-
Foreign Minister
François Bredon
-
The Thug
Chems Dahmani
-
Rashid
(as Chems Eddine Dahmani)
Sami Darr
-
The Pimp
Julien Hagnery
-
Chinese Punk
Mostéfa Stiti
-
Dir Yasin
Rebecca Dayan
-
Foreign Minister's Aide
Michaël Vander-Meiren
-
Airport Security Official
Didier Constant
-
Customs Official
Opening Weekend: $8,158,860
(USA)
(7 February 2010)
(2722 Screens)
Gross: $23,979,741
(USA)
(7 March 2010)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
This is a spy genre film and it is interesting to note that the title of the earlier film
To Paris with Love is said to have been the inspiration for James Bond creator Ian Fleming for the title of his 1957 James Bond spy novel, "From Russia With Love" which was later made into the film
From Russia with Love.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
When they are following the chinese waiter due to the kingpin the Escalade is clearly in park, even though they are driving.
Quotes:
[first lines]
James Reece:
[accepts printout]
Thank you, Cindy.
Secretary:
Welcome... James Reece:
[reading]
African Aid Summit prep meeting with the Foreign Minister tomorrow at noon, Summit Conference on Wednesday, G8 Undersecretary conference dinner on Thursday, and a reception for the Secretary of State Friday, sir. Ambassador Bennington:
Can't you see we have more urgent matters to consider, Reece?
[moves his queen]
James Reece:
Of course, sir.
[counter moves his queen]
James Reece:
Check. Ambassador Bennington:
Must you always be so methodical?
[...]
User Review
Silly and over the top
Rating: 6/10
A personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reese (Jonathan
Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French
girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level
operative for the CIA. All James wants is to become a bona fide agent
and see some real action. So when he's offered his first senior-level
assignment, he can't believe his good luck - until he meets his new
partner, special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta)...
From Paris With Love is an unrealistic, over-the-top action flick. The
plot is extremely silly, the story quite implausible, and the action
scenes are absolutely ridiculous not to mention that you can see the
twist coming from the beginning.Both Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
deliver good performances and they had good chemistry but at the same
time their characters are paper-thin and were poorly written. Something
that appalled me was the editing of the film and the transition between
some scenes. I thought it was rather choppy and not something I would
expect from experienced directors like Luc Besson and Pierre Morel. The
film does have its moments and can be quite entertaining at times but
if you're expecting something along the lines of Morel's last film,
Taken, which was a well thought and realistic action-thriller then
you're gonna be extremely disappointed. Recommended for action junkies
only.
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