If you are one of those people who think French Cinema is about artistic shots, deep, meaningful stories, and exploring the nature of human suffering, then you need to stop watching TCM and get to a theater. Modern French filmmakers like Luc Besson, Louis Leterrier, and Pierre Morel have been bringing action and adventure films to put most of their American counterparts to shame for the better part of the last two decades. Taken, the latest film from Morel, is no exception, but there is an ugly subtext at work.
The movie stars Liam Neeson as an ex-CIA operative who has retired in order to be closer to his daughter. He is the quintessential modern American father. A man who loves his child, but lost his marriage because he invested too much in his career. The script (by La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element writer/director Besson) actually carries out a bit more character development than most action films. Neeson’s character is likeable, and we identify with him not as an anonymous trained killer like Bond or Bourne, but as a typical dad. In short, we like him because we can see how much he loves his daughter and Neeson is utterly believable. This fact is worrying at first, however, because Liam Neeson isn’t the first actor that comes to mind when I start thinking about action stars.
The film begins by laying some groundwork, showing us Bryan Mills (Neeson) carefully researching, buying, and wrapping his daughter’s gift for her 17th birthday. Kim is your typically naïve American girl and she wants to run off to Paris for Spring break with a friend. Daddy is understandably leery about allowing his baby girl to run wild in Europe. She’s a virgin, after all, and mommy and daddy, though divorced, are perfect, loving parents, so she’s allowed to go, so long as she checks in with daddy all the time. On one such phone call, she watches kidnappers abscond with her friend and when they come for her, daddy is able to record them in the act. Through the miracle of modern American spook technology, Bryan tracks down an international human slave trading operation run by Albanian Muslims in France. Along the way, he uncovers corruption in the French Government, and collusion from the societal elite. In the end, he finds his daughter in the clutches of an overweight oil sheik that likes to buy “pure” girls outright so he can corrupt them himself.
All in all, Taken is a fun movie. Neeson comes across as an unstoppable, if a bit grizzled, force for good in the world and the French action style is at its frenetic best here. If you begin to think about this film, however, it might bother you. The message seems pretty clear: if France continues to look the other way, immigrants will continue to steal away their women and children and corrupt our society from within. The Americans, the film seems to posit, have the right idea, and these foreigners should be treated with an appropriate level of unmitigated violence. Morel and Besson treat Americans like cowboys in this movie, all of them wearing white hats. However, I doubt most audiences will consider the film for its deeper meaning. After all, last year’s homophobic/xenophobic treatise on American Foreign Policy, Rambo, didn’t bring about the end of the world, so I doubt most will notice much beyond the guns, knives, and car chases Morel and Besson offer up. Go ahead and enjoy this film for the bit of escapist action it provides. Those bits are done quite well, but as for its politics, well, just don’t get taken by Taken.
Final Verdict (out of 5):
Comments
Another Neeson Badass
Yet another Neeson badass, and one that is usually forgotten, was Dr. Peyton Westlake, also known as "Darkman" from the Sam Raimi movie of the same name. (Darkman 2 & 3 never happened, and nothing will convince me of that either). He was pretty badass in that movie, and he definitely dealt it out pretty well. Took it awesomely, as well. AND he lived in the end.
Granted, he was kind of mutilated, but all's well that ends well, right? RIGHT?!?!?
Darkman
Ah, but Darkman was like, 1990... And I think he survives in Krull as well, but that's a long time to go without a win, don't ya think?
Gonzo Is God,
Michael
Damn
I was totally going to say something about Kingdom Of Heaven, but he bit it in that one, too...
Bummer.
Now, if we could only get a sequel to Leon with Matilda all grown up and badass, I think life would be complete.
Amazing
All i can say is i love this film (well, all i should say but...). It is really gritty and not too unrealistic. The fight scene are more realistic than most and you find yourself flinching with the blows. The story was horrible and kept you wishing for Hollywood ending and i am so happy not to know if it was realistic or not.