L'échange is essentially the vanity project of one man, a farmer from Brittany called Jacky Bouédo, who decided that he had what it took to become the French Sylvester Stallone and opted to write and finance out of his own pocket - and his friends' pockets - an action movie he would star in, under the stage name Jacques Stival. He hired young video makers, eager for their professional break, to direct the film, which he produced for a whooping 25 000 euros (Stival's claim of having a 3 million euros budget is complete BS, according to the director himself). If you take into account the fact that the film was produced with such a paltry sum, I have to say that the filmmakers' feat is quite impressive - so kudos to the technicians. The film also makes a rather good use of Britanny's countryside.
However, L'échange just falls apart under the weight of its ultra-cliched script, cringeworthy dialogue and cardboard characters. The Russian female villain really takes the cake ! Also, the film decidedly bites more than it can chew. Had the script been in accordance to the operating budget, the film might have been believable : but no, even though they have a micro-budget, they insist on pretending to be a big production. The female official whose son is kidnapped if supposed to be France's minister of Defence, but her office barely looks like the sub-prefecture of Brittany. The film obviously tries to be some kind of "Die Hard in the French countryside", but it falls way short of that. The pacing is rather good, though, so it's actually better entertainment than most of Steven Seagal's recent movies.
But the film's ultimate failing is the complete lack of acting abilities by Jacques Stival : he does give an impression of quiet strength, but his inability to convincingly deliver dialogue deals the film a lethal blow. Stuntman Damien Leconte, who plays Stival's sidekick, actually gives a much more convincing performance, including in the action scenes : he should have been the real hero !
The film was not properly released in France, except for two premieres and a few semi-clandestine screenings, so if you have a chance to see this curio, don't hesitate : there aren't that many action fims hailing from the the depths of rural France !
