Braqueurs

This film rattles along at a good pace and doesn't feel the need to extend its 80 minutes running time with unnecessary backstories. It doesn't ask us to like the characters or feel any sympathy for them - they are what they are, take them or leave them. Ten minutes shorter than any premier league match with a lot more action and better French acting to boot.

Good action for a B-movie. Not much story if you are looking for that, just simple plot, straight to action. You wont get deep in any character. But that's ok for me as I didn't even realized I was fully engaged throughout. Its only too bad that story ended abruptly. I wish they developed the ending more. But its already 2 hours.

That's one quick-fire French gritty gangster movie, showing the true face of crime. Outcomes of certain actions were logical and this is the main reason makes sense. Actions have consequences. Nobody said they should be beautiful. It's short and it's real. Press play.

French action movies of the recent past, have one thing in common: they do know their action stunt stuff. So even if you're not that into the stories or characters of the movies, at least you'll have something to enjoy. Be it a car chase, a shootout or just the pure tension in builds in confrontational scenes between the characters.

This has a gang of people who know their criminal abilities and do utilize them as good as they can. With a charismatic leader like that, it's not that hard to get that. Of course as you can imagine, some things will go awry. The question is, will they get straight again. Although which side are you on? Can you cheer them on? It's just a movie, but I know some people have issues with rooting for criminals even in a make belief scenario like this ...

No matter what, Braqueurs will always draw comparisons to the 1995 Hollywood movie Heat as Heat was made 20 years earlier and has a very similar storyline. But on the whole Braqueurs has a soul on its own and is very good to watch, even as cliches galore. Having been fed on a regular dose of Hollywood styled action and heist movies since the mid 80s, I found Braqueurs to be quite impressive and engaging, with some strong believable characters and hardcore action stunts. Director Julien Leclercq is impress us with his treatment and storytelling ability.

Cinematography is very strong and the action scenes are very well shot and presented. Screenplay though cliched heavily or repeated many hundred times in the past decades, is still impressive with its characters and pacing. The ability to spring a surprise is another strong point of Julien Leclerq with his visuals. Music was handled very well, in fact the music director knew very well, when to keep quiet. I wish the editor had put in more than the final cut's 81 minutes runtime. Production design, costumes and makeup were all good. On the acting front though nobody impressed much but the fact is nobody disappointed either.

Overall, Braqueurs is a highly recommended movie for all action movie fans around the world. The movie may not suit young audiences, as it contains some nudity. At 81 minutes runtime this movie will be over in a jiffy and is worth a try for its pulsating joyride it provides. Braqueurs, the French gangster flick is the kind of movie that seriously punches way above its weight and is in line with Troopa de elite, The Raid and Extraction to name a few others. A solid 6.8 stars out of 10 for a serious but fun stellar action movie.