Getting set to order Leos Carax's colourful The Lovers on the Bridge,I got an "Amazon Uk recommends" that actually looked like a good suggestion!,thanks to it having a pretty confrontational cover,which led to me getting ready to go on the assault.
The plot-
France/ Algeria:1994:
With Algeria being in the middle of a civil war,plane travel from France to Algeria was being run on a limited, volunteered basis. Wanting terrorists to be freed from prison,four men dressed up as Air Algérie staff storm the plane.Before anyone can uncover their true identities the four men take over the plane,and announce that they are part of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Stating their demands,GIA reveal that their main goal is for the plane to fly to Paris with them in control. Fully aware over the severity of the situation,the government decide to bring in the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) to stop the terrorists from succeeding in their plan.
View on the film:
Despite the cover giving the title an Action movie book cover,co- writer/(along with Simon Moutairou) director Julien Leclercq & cinematographer Thierry Pouget largely go for something much more cerebral,as shaking camera shots go up and down the plane gathering the nail-biting fear and terror inhabiting each of the seats. Surprisingly going for over-stylised slo-mo during the fight scenes, Leclercq makes this a flaw that is easy to forgive,by keeping the camera firmly held during the incredible planning that the government and the GIGN put into taking on the GIA.
Based on survivors of the attack Roland Môntins and Gilles Cauture's own book,the screenplay by Moutairou and Leclercq brilliantly avoid exposition to instead bask the viewer in the agonising amount of time (3 days) that passes during the operation, with puzzled board meetings with the government and the extensive, specific training that GIGN take part in keeping the nail-biting atmosphere bubbling away. Spending an equal amount of time with the government forces and GIA,the writers do very well at drawing a clear,distinctive outline for everyone,as the country witnesses an assault on its most valued beliefs.
The plot-
France/ Algeria:1994:
With Algeria being in the middle of a civil war,plane travel from France to Algeria was being run on a limited, volunteered basis. Wanting terrorists to be freed from prison,four men dressed up as Air Algérie staff storm the plane.Before anyone can uncover their true identities the four men take over the plane,and announce that they are part of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Stating their demands,GIA reveal that their main goal is for the plane to fly to Paris with them in control. Fully aware over the severity of the situation,the government decide to bring in the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) to stop the terrorists from succeeding in their plan.
View on the film:
Despite the cover giving the title an Action movie book cover,co- writer/(along with Simon Moutairou) director Julien Leclercq & cinematographer Thierry Pouget largely go for something much more cerebral,as shaking camera shots go up and down the plane gathering the nail-biting fear and terror inhabiting each of the seats. Surprisingly going for over-stylised slo-mo during the fight scenes, Leclercq makes this a flaw that is easy to forgive,by keeping the camera firmly held during the incredible planning that the government and the GIGN put into taking on the GIA.
Based on survivors of the attack Roland Môntins and Gilles Cauture's own book,the screenplay by Moutairou and Leclercq brilliantly avoid exposition to instead bask the viewer in the agonising amount of time (3 days) that passes during the operation, with puzzled board meetings with the government and the extensive, specific training that GIGN take part in keeping the nail-biting atmosphere bubbling away. Spending an equal amount of time with the government forces and GIA,the writers do very well at drawing a clear,distinctive outline for everyone,as the country witnesses an assault on its most valued beliefs.