Beat the Devil

You just can't beat Gary Oldman... it's that simple. All of the BMW films are fun little romps, and this one is no exception. And as for the guy that posted before me about the explosions not making sense... It was the Devil in that amazing exploding car, so maybe you should a) suspend disbelief... or b) imagine it as if those explosions are a result of the Prince of Darkness losing a race... I mean... there is a lot of fire in Hell.

On a side note, both Brown and Manson were hilarious, and Owen was as charismatic as usual. Not to mention that I enjoyed seeing Danny Trejo in it, even though you can see him in basically every movie made in the last 10 years.

yippie/10

This short film is the most stylish and funny of the 8 bmw short films I have seen so far (I got them free on a DVD at the he2003 convention). Whether or not you will like the film depends on if you like the Las Vegas loud tackiness of Tony Scott's style, which meshes perfectly with James Brown and the usual over the top acting from Gary Oldman. I enjoyed it immensely, and the Marilyn Manson cameo at the end is quite amusing. The story is extremely simple: James Brown sold his soul to the devil to become the godfather of soul, and now he has aged and wants to race the devil for another 50 years of life. The directing style reminded me of the hyper-kenetic Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt). Gary Oldman as the frenetic devil is an interesting contrast to Clive Owen as the calm driver. Very enjoyable.

The final chapter of the BMW film series The Hire and a very interesting change from all of the previous chapters. While the previous episodes were mostly just straightforward action and driving, this one takes a turn for the supernatural, with a story that involves James Brown (played by himself), who literally sold his soul to the devil for fame, negotiating his contract. Naturally it all ends with Clive Owen causing havoc in his fancy BMW.

Definitely more my style, and my personal favorite of the series.

There's also a pretty comical end scene.

9 out of 10

This is a very amusing piece which is quite a bit out of the ordinary. It makes you think a lot about certain scenes of Natural Born Killers and U-Turn - and if you can actually make it in the world of show business without having to sell your soul... well, only few knows, I suppose... A very decent picture, but the total and absolute best part of the picture is a short appearance by shock rocker #1 Marilyn Manson in the end. The Devil himself, in the shape of Gary Oldman, saying "It's that creepy guy from downstairs..."...I recommend this little piece, it's downright hilarious.... even if you're a poor little sod who's NOT into Marilyn Manson ;-)

I loved this short. My family has always been BMW enthusiasts, and I've always been a Clive Owen enthusiast, so it is to be expected that I would enjoy the film. Extra treats for me were Gary Oldman who has always been a favorite of mine ever since his moving portrayal of Beethoven. He can do anything. He makes the perfect "Prince of Darkness". James Brown is an unexpected surprise and a great bit of flavor against a dark backdrop. Las Vegas aka Sin City is the perfect battle ground. I even enjoyed Marilyn Manson's cameo. He only added to the clever and wonderfully weird cast. The whole thing is great and I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys drama, hot British guys, and fast cars.