Paris

The director, Ramin Niami captures a bold vision in this story of good-cops-gone-astray trying desperately to redeem themselves. The tension of the quest is palpable throughout the film. Bai Ling is beautifully tragic in her performance of a trapped Chinese forced into sex-slavery by the cruel circumstances of her no-choices life. Chad Allen and James Russo are convincing as the cop duo whose partnership and trust disintegrates with the unfolding of events. The entertainment value and glimpse into the realities of the sex slave trade make Paris very worth seeing. Tastefully done, what is thankfully missing from Paris is blatant useless gratuitous sex and violence. Yet, the tragic and lovely romance between Jason (Chad Allen) and Linda (Bai Ling) develops elegantly amidst the desert panorama of Paris' setting. All of this makes the suspense of Paris also very romantic.

Paris is a crime cop genre film that has some great elements of romance.

The intimacy between Jason and Linda is well delivered by Bai Ling and Chad Allen. I felt an actual spark of love between the two characters. Bai Ling is gorgeous and the photography looks excellent. This is a film that looks great having been shot on DV. There are gorgeous shots of the California/Nevada desert. The seedy parts of LA and Las Vegas could be a bit seedier.

James Russo does a great job of playing the creepy bad cop.

Karen Black adds an interesting texture to the already colorful film.

Overall I say Paris is worth watching and would recommend it to those intersted in watching a decent film shot on DV. The love story is the highlight and Bai Ling just looks great.

I recently watched Paris (2003) on Tubi. The storyline follows a police officer who finds himself in a difficult situation at a crime scene, accidentally killing his partner and stealing money before going on the run. Along the way, he encounters a woman involved in the sex trade whom he believes he's saved, but she harbors plans to dismantle the industry. As their relationship develops, complications arise.

Directed by Ramin Niami (Eye without a Face), the film stars Chad Allen (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), Bai Ling (The Crow), Ron Jeremy (The Boondock Saints), and James Russo (Django).

Unfortunately, Paris falls short on nearly every front, clearly reflecting its low-budget independent production. While the premise had potential, the execution falters, with lackluster settings, dialogue, and even the pivotal sex scene falls short. Bai Ling delivers a stunning performance, adding a spark of interest, but it's not enough to salvage the film. Even the purported "clever twist" at the end fails to impress.

In conclusion, Paris offers little of value to viewers. I would rate it a 3/10 and recommend skipping it altogether.

Paris is a very ordinary corrupt-cops-in-the-underworld movie, just laden with cliches, and its struggle to rise above them isn't very successful. There's not much originality in either the script or direction; from the cop who drives a sixties-vintage car to the address he wants written down on a barroom

matchbook, we've seen all of it before.

The movie looks good, and some of the performances are strong. Chad Allen

does show some chops, and an ability to hold the camera's attention, even if his range here is limited. Some of the blame for that has to lie with the script and the unconvincing situations it puts him in. And maybe he's better off not trying to play a character's depth when there is none given him to play. Bai Ling also

acquits herself credibly and as someone else noted here, there is some screen chemistry between the two stars.

But after all that, I'm still left with one question; how does a guy get shot in the back, from the side?

Paris is an intriguing take on what film noir looks like with contemporary production technology and a contemporary storyline. In the process, the film presents the important and neglected problem of forced Asian prostitution. The acting is very good.including Karen Black! I recommend it.