Ad Vitam

Ad Vitam is an engaging French police action film. I don't have too much experience with French Action cinema but this is good by any action-drama standard. The lead here, and his wife, are members of the elite French Gendarme. When the film opens there is clearly some police corruption scandal which has endangered the life of his wife and unborn baby. There is some good fighting and martial arts in this one. The action is good. The drama and the police corruption story keep you engaged throughout. The acting is decent, although I watched the Dubbed into English version so it is a little harder to tell how decent.

You wouldn't have expected a role like this from the French actor Guillaume CANET until now, but from now on you'll have to talk about a French Tom CRUISE. In German-speaking countries, Guillaume CANET was known primarily for his role in THE BEACH (2000) with Leonardo Di CAPRIO in the lead role and as the first husband of the German actress Diane KRUGER.

In AD VITAM by Rodolphe LAUGA, CANET plays a former member of the French elite unit GIGN who, after his release, is drawn into a confusing game of intrigue with very bad guys. When his pregnant wife Leo (Stephane CAILLARD, known from CHEZ NOUS (2017) by Lucas BELVAUX) is kidnapped, Franck Lazareff finally becomes a one-man army who can hit, shoot and climb so much that even Mr. CRUISE would be jealous. Fortunately, the elite fighter also has some good colleagues (Nassim LYES from SOUS LA SEINE and Alexis MANENTI from LES MISERABLES) who rush to help with their powerful skills.

Of course, this film has some weaknesses, such as the miserably long flashbacks at the beginning of the film, but NETFLIX has provided a budget that makes such a well-illustrated action film possible in France. The fights and chases on the street and in the air are well done. Breathtaking images of Sacre-Coeur and the Versailles Palace Park included! The film also does full justice to the French PolAr tradition (film policier and Argot). It is a lot of fun to watch and has so far been quite successful on the global streaming service.

In a small role, there is also a reunion with Stephane RIDEAU (in the sequence in Sacre-Coeur), who became known in 1993 with ROSEAUX SAUVAGES.

Of course some people just can not enjoy this kind of movie, finding it too shallow or whatever, but then again I wonder why they even bother to watch an action movie if they don't like this genre. Because an action movie it definitely is, and a good one in my opinion. Of course you have some exaggerated scenes but not too much and not too exaggerated like we're normally used to in this genre. A good French action movie, it's been awhile since I watched one, this one deserves a good rating. The story is simple in the beginning but there are some good twists towards the end which made it a movie worth watching. The acting was also convincing so give it a shot if you're looking for a good foreign action movie.

Ad Vitam (2025), directed by Rodolphe Lauga, is a thriller that follows Franck Lazareff (Guillaume Canet), who survives an attempted murder and embarks on a quest to find his kidnapped wife, Leo. As Franck delves deeper into a world of mystery, he is confronted by his past and swept into a state conspiracy that proves more than he bargained for. While the premise offers potential for a gripping and emotional story, the film fails to rise above the clichés of the genre.

Guillaume Canet, despite being a talented actor, feels miscast in this film. His performance, while competent, lacks the depth and complexity that might have made his character truly compelling. It's surprising that an actor of his caliber chose to take on a role in such a formulaic and uninspired narrative. The supporting cast, including Jamel Blissat and Rayan Bouazza, doesn't bring anything particularly noteworthy to their roles, with their performances often feeling wooden and lacking emotional engagement.

The film's biggest weakness lies in its screenplay. The story follows a predictable path, offering few surprises or twists. While it tries to combine elements of action, mystery, and conspiracy, it never fully commits to any one genre, leaving the narrative feeling disjointed. The pacing also suffers, with certain plot points dragging on too long, and the dialogue feels repetitive and uninspired, leaving little for the viewer to truly connect with.

Visually, the film offers some decent action sequences, but the cinematography doesn't bring anything fresh or innovative to the genre. The direction is competent but lacks the flair needed to elevate the film beyond its generic premise. Ultimately, Ad Vitam feels like a classic example of a film that is forgettable, offering only brief moments of intrigue before fading into obscurity.

Rating: 5/10. A passable thriller with little to distinguish it from others in the genre, despite a talented cast and a promising premise.

This is a good thriller movie that shows the lives of elite military groups that spring into action in case of big/disastrous attacks. It shows a very important side of the lives of such people: family. Sometimes, we forget that the military people not only sacrifice their lives, they also sacrifice the comforts of staying with their family. And in unfortunate circumstances, these people give up their lives, casting a permanent shadow on the psyche of their loved ones. This film accurately depicts to what extent people can go to save their loved ones.

However, I feel that this movie is a slow peel, just like the peeling of an onion slowly and steadily. It gradually unfolds the lives and motivations of different characters. This is a fresh take, and I haven't seen thriller movies recently made in this style. But I am not sure if this will attract the fast-moving people of this generation who are addicted to 30-second reels on their phones.