Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety?
The experience of watching it evokes visions of the inevitable US refit (‘Anything for Her’ was remade by Paul Haggis as ‘The Next Three Days’). Instead, we have Gilles Lellouche (pictured) as Samuel, a brawny but benevolent trainee nurse whose wife is on the cusp of dropping a sprog. In a standard wrong time/wrong place set-up, Samuel is coerced into smuggling Roschdy Zem's wounded crim out of hospital, only to be roped into carrying out more depraved deeds when he finds out his wife has been taken hostage.
It’s hardly what you’d call high art, but Cavayé knows how to push buttons when it comes to straight-up, palm-sweating spectacle. It’s dumb and manipulative, such as the scene in which the bad guys almost dispose of the pregnant spouse by tossing her out of a window. But it’s also brisk and unpretentious, with no hint that we’re meant to take anything more away from this than a cheap but effective thrill.
It’s hardly what you’d call high art, but Cavayé knows how to push buttons when it comes to straight-up, palm-sweating spectacle. It’s dumb and manipulative, such as the scene in which the bad guys almost dispose of the pregnant spouse by tossing her out of a window. But it’s also brisk and unpretentious, with no hint that we’re meant to take anything more away from this than a cheap but effective thrill.
Other New Titles in November
GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD
BEASTLY (2011)
HARLAN ELLISON: DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH (2008)
NURSE JACKIE - SEASON ONE (2010)
NURSE JACKIE - SEASON TWO (2011)
MORGIANA (1972)
MICHAEL CACOYANNIS TRILOGY (1977)
POINT BLANK (2010)
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (2010)
AVANT-GARDE 3: EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA 1922-1954
BEN-HUR (1959) BLU-RAY
INTIMIDATION (1960) CRITERION
BLACK SUN (1964) CRITERION
I HATE BUT LOVE (1962) CRITERION
THIRST FOR LOVE (1966) CRITERION
WARPED ONES, THE (1960) CRITERION
TWIN PEAKS DEFINITIVE GOLD BOX EDITION
SCREAM 4 (2011)
SENNA (2011)
MY FORBIDDEN PAST (1951)
BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948)
BULLET TO BEIJING (1996)
MIDNIGHT IN ST PETERSBURG (1997)
MADAME ROSA (1977)
KILLING, THE(1957) CRITERION
SZINDBAD (1971)
13 ASSASSINS (2011)
CUL-DE-SAC (1966) CRITERION
FATHER (1966)
TAKING OFF (1971)
KILLING BONO (2011)
TREACLE JR. (2010)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (2011)
POPE JOAN (2009)
HONEY 2 (2011)
WRECKED (2010)
RITE, THE (2011)
LITTLE WHITE LIES (2010)
SLITHER (1973)
MICKEY ONE (1965)
HICKEY AND BOGGS (1972)
BAL (2010)