Like any action film, there are always the unbelievable scenes that the audience knows could never happen. They need to enter the world of cinema where anything is possible. Starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, From Paris with Love showed just that. Set in Paris the film follows CIA agent Charlie Wax (Travolta) and a low-level operative for the CIA named James Reece (Meyers) as they try to prevent a terrorist attack from on the American Embassy.

This action film, with a running time of only an hour and half, holds the audience’s attention with its quick paced action, witty conversation, outright comedy, and the occasional love scene. The suspense and thrills of many scenes keeps the audience’s interest throughout. There were several times when I literally jumped in my seat. The one flaw I found with the movie was the cinematography. In the style so popular in Hollywood today, the camera jumps around a lot with the action in an attempt to create that illusion that the audience is a part of the action. For me, however, all I felt was a little dizzy.

Unlike other action films, there actually was a plot and one that was not as obvious as in many lesser films. The story had many unexpected twists and turns. Reece experienced this frustration of being left in the dark with us. Like the audience, Reece didn’t really understand what was going on.

Travolta's performance as Charles Wax was superb. He was intimidating as well as funny. You took him seriously as a tough CIA agent but at the same time you would love to go out for lunch with him. Although Travolta's character dominated, Meyer's Reece had a certain charm that kept you interested in his struggles throughout the film. Reece was accustomed to playing by the book and you could feel Reece's frustration at Wax's disregard for the rules. The chemistry between Wax and Reece was brillant. They personified your traditional opposites, one man trying to play by the books while the other loves to live on the edge and take chances. 

The transformation of Reece throughout the movie was very subtle and played out very well. You saw him grow from an inexperienced, low level operative into a professional CIA agent. At first he was unable to kill a man, or even defend himself, but by the end of the movie you saw a critical change in his character where getting the job done was the only thing that mattered. He had become a little more like Wax.

Although not a work of cinematic art, this film was definitely enjoyable and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good laugh and thrill. Three Stars.

Shannon Farrell