Déflagrations

Filmmaker Vanya Peirani-Vignes and co-writer Pablo Barbetti took an interesting approach in declining any initial exposition, and just throwing us directly into the active plot. True, tidbits of information are revealed over time to give more of a story to the scenario, and to everyone's credit those are woven in in a sensible fashion. But it's also striking that despite the enjoyable, thriller-ready original music of Davy and Yoann Bernagoult, lending to the tension of the proceedings, the film does its best to maintain a steady, subdued tone - done relatively easily since the movie takes place in and around a stationary vehicle in a parking garage. Mind you, I don't think this reflects in any way on the title's value; Sonia and her colleagues are cold-stone professionals, after all, maintaining cool heads under pressure. It's just that one is very much accustomed to seeing such a premise embellished for dramatic effect in almost literally every other possible instance, and the disparity is noteworthy. In a way the restrained tenor of 'Blast' is kind of refreshing; granted, the appeal that will have to wide audiences might be another matter, especially as the singular, confined setting inherently constrains the thrills in some measure. All the same this is pretty well done generally, and I think it's modestly enjoyable such as it is, though imperfect.

If nothing else is true, everyone involved did a fine job in bringing the screenplay to life. I'm hardly one to speak to the authenticity of all the equipment, terminology, and techniques on hand in terms of bomb-making and bomb disposal, but in the very least there was care enough to make all this believable for moviegoers. All the props and effects look great, not to mention costume design, hair and makeup, and notably even lighting; the production design is solid all around. I quite appreciate Thierry Arbogast's cinematography, smooth and mindful in any given moment, and Joël Jacovella's editing is sharp. Peirani-Vignes's direction seems perfectly capable to me in orchestrating shots and scenes, making the whole as meaningful as it could be. Above all, I rather think the cast not only give admirable performances, but in fact the acting may be the primary strength of 'Blast.' Edouard Montoute, Olga Korotyayeva, and even the child actors demonstrate able skill to realize their characters and add to the storytelling. Sara Mortensen, Pierre Kiwitt, and Radivoje Bukvic, given more prominence, make the most of it with nuance and range that are still more noteworthy, making a swell impression. With Sonia more or less centered as a protagonist, Nora Arnezeder has the most opportunity of all to illustrate her abilities, and she handles the lead role very well; along with the others I look forward to seeing what she might do in the future.

All this is well and good, and for the quality of these facets 'Blast' earns at least a soft recommendation. The screenplay is a bit more thorny. The core ideas are excellent: an intriguing premise, characters with various complications, terse dialogue, a narrative in which the wider, more far reaching aspects are brought out over time. The scene writing is super, as far as I'm concerned, and a firm foundation. It's in the details where things are mucked up a bit. Sonia's efforts to keep the kids calm are a little too gauche for the scenario; weaving in the personal lives and problems of characters somewhat throws off the vibes that this otherwise aims to achieve, even when it directly plays into the drama later in the runtime. Some instances of dialogue are simply too on the nose, not least when the removal team is conflicting with police on the scene. And still what I think troubles me most is that the identification of the responsible parties is a tad indistinct; the immediate motivations are very clear, but I think the screenplay is too amorphous otherwise. Just as the picture ultimately tries to convey the idea that situations in conflict zones around the world may be more complicated than what organizations and governments elsewhere might ascertain, I think the explanation 'Blast' tries to give for the scenario is more complicated than the writing is able to neatly communicate. As we've seen with too many Hollywood movies, to discretely identify a state, culture, or region as the point of origin for fictional antagonists, without being more lucid beyond that broad stroke, is somewhat problematic.

With all this having been said I still think 'Blast' is entertaining, and well made much more than not. Everyone behind the scenes turned in splendid work, I really like the cast and their acting, and Peirani-Vignes' contribution as director is commendable. I even like the writing more than not. So it's just unfortunate that the script tosses in a couple elements that could have been reduced or omitted, and lacks clarity in one very important regard; if the writing were a smidgen tighter the feature would have been noticeably improved. And it's regrettable, and ironic, that despite the inventiveness of the premise, the very scenario serves to slightly undercut the thrills we usually anticipate from the genre as everything transpires within a very limited space. Honestly, I actually want to like this more than I do. 'Blast' is good as far as I'm concerned, and worth checking out, and I'm eager to see more of the credits of everyone involved. Unless one is a diehard fan of someone participating, though, maybe save it for a quiet day rather than going out of your way for it.

"After watching the entire film, I really feel that there are all sorts of people in the world. Maybe someday, someone around you might seek revenge just because they're upset with you, instead of communicating or demanding something from you. It might not be as extreme as planting a bomb, but there are subtle ways to harm others. Speaking of this movie, I'm sorry I can't spoil how exciting the whole film is, but there's one scene I must share deeply. The female lead is trapped in a car with a bomb, and the support team outside is discussing which wire to cut. It's a choice between blind instinct for self-preservation and trusting the judgment of a professional. Which one would I choose? Am I mentally prepared to accept the outcome? How about you? Would you be willing to tell me?

This film isn't bad at all. I tend to rate low and I'd expect it to score well over 6. The acting is fine all round, the story mostly works, the pace is kept up and the tension well-sustained. It's no masterpiece, but passes an exciting and enjoyable 90 minutes.

On the downside: the clichéed bratty kid (You only care about your job, mommy, not little meee.) seems to be included only to spin out tension for a few more (and highly improbable) seconds; the director seems to want to examine the psyches of bomb disposal crews, but this aspect is too rushed to be either useful or interesting; since the character Camille seems just as clued-up as Igor and somewhat more effective in action, had more of that action been left to her, the outcome might have been better; and finally, once Camille buys them the 90lb, a far more obvious solution to the problem becomes apparent but none of the characters ever realise - I'll say no more to avoid spoilers.

Watched as pure entertainment, I'd recommend this.

No pun intended - the international title is suggesting what is or rather will (eventually?) happen in the movie ... which makes the beginning of the movie quite ... well intense to say the least. But knowing just that, leaves quite a lot of things in the open. You have to guess where this will go (actually it is quite stationary, but you catch my drift).

The acting is quite good and the pacing is good too. There are a few things in here where you may cringe, but overall most of it makes sense ... again, most of it, means there are things you will very likely have issues with ... just try to go with the flow. The suspense is there ... it will work for you if you suspend your disbelief.