Hostage

Wow. This is yet another of the series of 8 brilliant short films commissioned by BMW that were released on the internet in 2001 and 2002. Apparently, somebody at the car maker had a butt-load of money and spent it assembling some of the top directors in the world (such as John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee and Wong Kar Wai) and gave them HUGE budgets and often top acting talent to make these shorts. Not surprisingly, a BMW is featured prominently in each short--in this case the tiny Z4. In addition, playing a James Bond-like hero (and anti-hero in one) is Clive Owen in all eight films!

This one was directed by John Woo and I almost gave it a 10--it sure came darn close! Why was I so impressed? Well, because although all the films are great, this one is more like an entire full-length film shoved into only about 8 minutes! It manages to convey a heck of a lot and provide lots of twists in this tiny time frame. Tense, ironic and heart-pounding--this is definitely a must-see.

Do not watch any of these films if you are expecting intricate plot or thought-provoking messages or deep characters. If you want a guy driving the BMW du jour around really fast, by all means watch this series of shorts.

In Hostage, the BMW du jour is the Z4. The chase is classic John Woo material, and the plot is simply stuck onto it, almost as an afterthought. That doesn't really matter, though. You can still enjoy it. It is a very good car chase.

In fact, it's fair to say this is not so much a short film as a very long BMW commercial. It works very well. I wanted to buy a Z4 after watching it, so I could drive around like a psycho. The movie makes it look fun, and it makes you have fun while watching it.

I've been a huge fan of the BMW Film Series "The Hire" since the first season that was produced by David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club). These latest three episodes were produced by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator). It's a match made in movie-fan heaven: Hollywood's hottest directors, Britain's coolest actor, and Germany's most kick-ass cars!

"Hostage" is directed by John Woo, the action virtuoso who brought us "The Killer," "A Better Tomorrow" and "Face/Off." Although John Woo is famous for his ballistic shootouts, he is also quite adept at doing drama. This short film showcases that to perfection, with flawed characters and a delicious surprise twist at the end.

This short film rocks in the action department! You get to see The Driver do all sorts of cool maneuvers in this one, including a 180 then driving high-speed in reverse, a 12-foot-high car jump, and he even out-drives a fleet of police cars!

For the best action in the "The Hire" series, I recommend "Hostage" along with "Ambush" and "Ticker." "Powder Keg" has the best drama and "Star" is the funniest one in the series. I can't wait for Tony Scott's "Beat the Devil" to come out!

You can almost always rely on John Woo to deliver great action... Face/Off and those of his films that were made before he went Hollywood, especially those featuring Chow Yun-Fat(or so I've heard; have only seen Face/Off myself) are great and popular for his unique brand of cool, stylish action. His use of slow-motion in action sequences are especially popular; here, he delivers as well... but one can't help but think about whether or not Woo(or anyone else, for that matter) actually read the script. There are quite an impressive amount of glaringly obvious plot holes for such a short action flick... but I suppose what we're supposed to pay attention to is the car(this is a commercial, after all) and its capabilities... though I think many of them are exaggerated, at least slightly, in this. The acting isn't particularly good, but Clive Owen is still great as The Driver... not that one would expect anything else from him. The action is pretty cool, that I must admit. And it somehow manages to overshadow the numerous holes in the fairly thin plot. All in all, worth a single watch, for car freaks. But not much more. I recommend it to big fans of Woo and the commercials, as well as car fanatics. 7/10

In their latest quarterly report, BMW recently cited higher than expected launch costs associated with the new Z4. From looking at films like Hostage and Ticker, it's easy to understand why.

Hostage is a new breed of action shorts. By assembling John Woo's Hollywood A-list production crew, BMW along with Scott brothers Ridley and Tony have blended film and commercial into seemless product placement.

The premise of Hostage is not exactly treading on new ground. A disgruntled employee is holding his former employer in the trunk of his car, and high tide threatens to drown her unless the FBI, with help from Clive Owen's The Driver, delivers $5 million.

Woo's slick direction and gift of tension plays very well. Hostage is a taut thriller that both entertains and product places the new BMW Z4. No doubt the Driver films has already catapulted Clive Owen's career.

For those who question BMW's business acumen, consider how many car commercials lay casualty to the Fast Forward button. BMW has correctly identified his target demographic, high end yuppies with disposable income and broadband connection, and created an not easily forgettable product placement. Doubting Thomas' out there can surf the BMWfilms website for other shorts like Powderkeg and Ticker. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

As for the car itself, well, if only it were a Bull market....