Michael is an American pickpocket who lives by his wits in Paris: a young man on the run, mostly by himself, destined to always be the wrong guy in the wrong place. For it is he who snatch the bag to a Parisian in tears, convinced that you keep something of great value. It’s right, but the value is not monetary: there is a bomb in the bag with which Zoe, a young woman in tears, would have to blow up the headquarters of the French Nationalist Party. From that moment he begins for Michael a triple escape: from the French police, the terrorists and the CIA in the person of Sean Briar, fell into disgrace agent because of its refractory character of the rules (and complacency) and so called “irresponsible”. But congenital nell’insubordinazione Michael and Sean will find the point of contact that will help to identify them, and to fight common enemies.
Directed by British writer-director James Watkins, who has had a couple of “fear” as a successful film The Woman in Black and Eden Lake, and written by Andrew Baldwin, currently working on the script of the new episode of the Bourne saga, Bastille Day is apparently auditioning for Idris Elba, and the team of authors that candidate themselves to pack the next Bond movie with Elba in the role of the first 007 black history. This is not necessarily a demerit: director, screenwriter and actor working on speed and ability to add to the action a socio-political subtext (without reaching the heights of metaphysical and psychological Bond movie by Sam Mendes and John Logan). Works fine Idris Elba, action hero of great presence and charisma in a role in which a few years ago we would see Jean Reno. They also work discretely Richard Madden, the Robb Stark de Game of Thrones, and Charlotte Le Bon, in the roles of Michael and Zoe, both committed to embodying the vulnerability of their generation as opposed to the gravitas (even physical) of the “fathers.”
The spin more interesting narrative of the film, set in a Paris torn by social conflicts and constantly threatened by terrorism of all kinds, is the indication that behind the isms are hiding the usual old foxes and the most ancient lust for power. The other spin is part of a contemporary cinematic genre, the so to say magical, it belongs to such as minisaga of Now You See Me: Michael is indeed a magician of the theft on the assumption that all, more than ever, look no see, too easily led astray by furbesche distraction tactics (in fact to bring together Michael and Sean is the ability of the latter to “recognize an asshole when he sees it”). And it’s interesting attempt to combine forces (including production) of the United States and France to talk about a contemporary socio-political climate characterized by a fiery induces a kind of collective blindness to the mechanisms of their own power based on constantly create a diversion. The risk, of course, is to delegitimize the protests, describing it as naively manipulated and due to malfeasance instead of social exasperation.
The screenplay has strengths and weaknesses: one of the first is the ability to work in subtraction in the construction of the characters and to rattle off information in an efficient and economic as well as a good dialogue skills (see the exchange that outlines the relationship between two former lovers, where she asks: “How is your wife” and he replies: “Expensive”); among the latter there are some improbable plot twists and difficulties to quail the excellent initial premises in the final bulimic where Bastille Day seeks to bring together a variety of genres and a variety of narrative lines. No doubt instead of directing and editing, working together to build a nimble tale expertly alternating words and silences, fast action and moments suspended, magic and realism, brutality and kindness.