American cinema reigns supreme in most parts of the world, with Hollywood capturing the attention and money of most people. However, many European countries also have a rich film history that spans almost every genre, with France are among the biggest players.
While tradition dictates that Hong Kong has always been the biggest influence in the action genre, French cinema has also produced a few gems that have inspired several English adaptations that rarely come close to their original. After all, without Luc Besson, the Taken franchise could not have propelled Liam Neeson forward as a modern-day action star. However, there is much more to French action than the famed director.
doberman – 1997
With a screenplay written by French sci-fi author Joël Houssin, and based on his series of novels of the same name, doberman follows an eccentric gang of criminals tug-of-war with a sadistic cop who will do anything to track them down. doberman stars French icon Vincent Cassel as Dobermann, and the beautiful Monica Bellucci plays his deaf girlfriend in an action movie that takes serious Bonnie and Clyde feeling.
Director Jan Kounen made a film that is hilarious and tense, a film that makes it impossible for the viewer to take their eyes off it. Every scene looks beautiful, despite the modest budget compared to other action movies. Not only that, Dobermann’s scenes hit hard and left the audience in shock and awe.
Cab – 1998
It’s hard to consider anything with Besson’s name underrated, yet in between Leon: the professional and The fifth element, he found time to write one of the best action comedies of French cinema, Cab. The movie star Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal and a young Marion Cotillard. Young Daniel Morales teams up with a police officer who can’t drive to provide a spectacular number of chase scenes in the street of Marseille.
If that premise sounds familiar, it’s probably because: Cab got a terrible American remake in 2004, starring Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Gisele Bündchen. In France, however, the sequels go up to Taxi 5 and have always delivered spectacular gains, making it an absolute must-watch. It is not exactly the top French cinema, but certainly not to be missed.
About Portant (Point empty) – 2010
The original Point empty is a rare gem because it thrives on how strong the fight sequences and special effects are, which isn’t what the older French action classics are known for. Instead of, About Portant’s action moments have a lake Bourne or John Wick style, combined with thriller vibes that will make many forget that this was made in France, at least until the fantastic photos of the Parisian landscape surface.
Strangely enough, director Fred Cavayé’s action repertoire is virtually non-existent. Most of his work is closer to the thriller genre. General, Point Blank’s “husband to save his wife” is so foolproof that the film has been adopted in several countries and languages, with Netflix’s Point empty starring Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo who don’t even come close to the original.
Nid de Guêpes (The nest) – 2002
Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a remake of an American classic (John Carpenter’s Attack on Precinct 13) makes Florent Emilio Siri’s The nest not so well known. However, this epic stalemate is by no means a lesser version of the previous film, let alone the 2005 version. One could argue that the differences are mostly aesthetic, with Nid de Guêpes can rely on more modern developments. However, the cinematography of the film feels undeniably French, unlike the aforementioned one Point empty.
This is perfectly illustrated by: The Nest’s ending credits sequence, which is about as melancholy French as it gets, along with the main character developing very differently from their American counterparts in such a short period of time. Sure, including a hundred Albanian mobsters is hardly realistic, but the plausibility is worth sacrificing on this, as Samy Naceri, Benoît Magimel and Nadia Farès delivered excellent performances.
BAC North (the stronghold) – 2020
The most recent entry here, the stronghold is set in the ever-criminal Marseille, one of the most dangerous regions of France, but without the comic relief Cab brings to the table. Available immediately on Netflix, it also offers a better insight into the city’s criminal underworld than the streamer’s poorly-reviewed original series. Marseille.
BAC North is the classic tale of good cops and bad cops, with the film sparking controversy in France upon its premiere. It also represents a great example of reviewers’ opinions that just don’t align with the public’s as it has always fared much better with users than critics, something that often happens in the action genre.
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