BASTILLE DAY

A young con artist and former CIA agent embark on an anti-terrorist mission in France. —IMDB

The IMDB description is not quite right — it’s a young pickpocketer who joins with the CIA agent. During the first few minutes of BASTILLE DAY, I lost hope of a good movie. The acting seemed overplayed and stilted. But after a few minutes, the action got going in what turned out to be quite a good story with some nice twists and turns. It is pure entertainment and, if approached without expectations of something deep and meaningful, is thoroughly enjoyable. Idris Elba does the tough man really well and Richard Madden does a good job of the pickpocketer. The whole thing is earthy and unpolished in a nice way. The Paris setting which takes the viewer on a journey through some of its seedier parts is a pleasant change to the romantic tourist spots one usually gets. If you are looking for something where you can put your mind into neutral and go for a ride, check out BASTILLE DAY.