Taken (1999/I)

Director:

Max Fischer

Writer:

Pierre Lapointe (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A kidnapped businessman, finding out that no one is willing to pay the ransom to save his life, befriends his aggressor.

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Dabney Coleman	...	Ethan Grover
Stewart Bick	...	Alan Cross
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Bill McMurtrey
Linda Smith	...	Judy Grover
Michael Rudder	...	Syd Brooks
Dorothée Berryman	...	Sandra Mathers
Brett Watson	...	Alex
Michael Perron	...	Murphy
Carl Alacchi	...	Pizzolo
Zenhu Han	...	Theodore Kim
Hondo Flemming	...	Hondo
Noël Burton	...	Manager
Erwin Potitt	...	Mr. Zaninger
Isabel Dos Santos	...	Rosa
Mark Trafford	...	Plant Supervisor
Russell Yuen	...	Photographer
Monique Derix	...	Model #1
Jessie Foo	...	Model #2
Sandrine Gros d'Aillon	...	Model #3
Jasson Finney	...	Cop #1
Bonnie Mak	...	Cop #2
Raymond Desmarteau	...	Police Officer

Directed by
Max Fischer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pierre Lapointe		writer

Produced by
Renaud Mathieu	....	producer
Stefan Wodoslawsky	....	producer

Film Editing by
Yves Langlois

Production Design by
David Gaucher

Costume Design by
Suzana Fischer

Makeup Department
Dario Lapointe	....	key hair stylist
Félix Larivière	....	hair stylist
Penny Lee	....	key makeup artist
Sylvain Limoges	....	hair stylist
Marlène Rouleau	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Richard Bélanger	....	post-production supervisor
Simon-Pier Bélanger	....	unit manager
Martha Fernandez	....	production manager
Hélène Lafrance	....	assistant production manager
Sylvie Laurin	....	executive in charge of production
Pierre Thériault	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Simon Dugas	....	third assistant director
John Fretz	....	first assistant director
Brigitte Goulet	....	second assistant director
Arthur Tarnowski	....	second unit director
Théo Thivierge	....	additional third assistant director

Art Department
Eric Aubuchon	....	property master
Walter Byrns	....	swing gang
Pierre Jasmin	....	swing gang
Nadine Petit Clerc	....	assistant set decorator
Marc Reichel	....	assistant set decorator
Marianne Vézina-Méthé	....	assistant props

Sound Department
Jean-Guy Bergeron	....	boom operator
Dominique Delguste	....	sound re-recording mixer
André Galbrand	....	post-production sound
Réjean Juteau	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wojtek Klis	....	dialogue editor
Claude Lajeunesse	....	dialogue editor
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist
Sylvie Masse	....	sound effects editor
Louis Molinas	....	sound effects editor
Nathalie Morin	....	foley recordist
Richard Nichol	....	sound
Paul Taylor	....	foley assistant
Alain Travers	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Ryal Cosgrove	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Marc Cote	....	video computer graphics

Stunts
Mike Chute	....	stunts
François Gauthier	....	stunts (as Frank Gauthier)
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunts
Michael Scherer	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Yvan Bourdages	....	steadicam operator
Joost Clerinx	....	grip
Nicolas Fournier	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Pascal-Rene Gabriele	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Eric Gaucher	....	first grip
Merlin Girard	....	daily grip
Emeric Grunebaum	....	key grip
Maral Hassib	....	best boy (as Manal Hassib)
Ariane Jonassen	....	daily grip
Walter Klymkiw	....	gaffer
Brad MacLean	....	daily grip
Brent Marrale	....	lighting technician
Bruno Martel	....	electrician
Stephan Menghi	....	first assistant camera
Lorenzo Negri	....	second assistant camera
François Parent	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Bruno Philip	....	camera operator: second unit
David Sanders	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Andrea Kenyon	....	casting: Canada
Karen Margiotta	....	casting consultant: Los Angeles
Mary Margiotta	....	casting consultant: Los Angeles
Myriam Vézina	....	casting: Canada
Randi Wells	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Anderson	....	wardrobe assistant
Guy Cloutier	....	key dresser
Alice Mayeux	....	dresser

Editorial Department
Stéphanie Grégoire	....	assistant editor: Avid
François Lessard	....	avid assistant coordinator
Pascale Matte	....	post-production coordinator
Isabelle Riva	....	post-production assistant
Gordon 'Van Gord' Wallbank	....	color timer (as Gordon Wallbank)

Transportation Department
Michel Brouillette	....	car wrangler
Alain Caporicci	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Joanne Barrington	....	executive assistant: Allegro
Denise D'Amours	....	office manager
Gaëlle Delaporte	....	talent coordinator
Stephane Desharnais	....	production assistant
Danielle Deslongchamps	....	script supervisor
Elaine Desrosiers	....	accounting assistant
Sandrine Gros d'Aillon	....	production secretary
Shawn Johnson	....	production assistant
Ariane Jonassen	....	production assistant
Manon Lapointe	....	production accountant
Daniel Malenfant	....	production assistant
Moushika Mathieu	....	craft service
Julie Matlin	....	production coordinator
Martine Orban	....	production controller
Philippe Poulin	....	location manager
Denis Proulx	....	medic
Isabelle Riva	....	assistant production coordinator
Sylvie Ross	....	location scout
Stephan Rothman	....	production auditor: USA
Ghislaine Servant	....	production accountant
Elsa St-Denis	....	assistant location manager
Jocelyne Talbot	....	accounting assistant
Jon Trzcienski	....	set runner
Mahalia Verna	....	publicity coordinator
William Lee	....	script consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Allegro Films

Distributors

• Avalanche Home Entertainment
• Saban Entertainment

Special Effects

• Mangouste (optical effects)

Other Companies

• AstralTech Inc.  film lab
• Ciné-Titres  titles
• Clairmont Camera  camera equipment provided by
• Cold Blue Rentals  gun handlers
• Multimontage Inc.  editing facilities
• Negbec Films  negative cutting (as Negbec)
• Walter Lighting & Grip  grip equipment

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, sexuality, language and drug content.

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Allegro Films

Great suspense.

I just watched this film on ABC TV late night on a Saturday night and I thought it was terrific. It was half over before I happened to switch it on but was then completely hooked -- with the suspense and drama and trying to figure out what everyone was up to. I'm so sick of movies that have car chase after car chase after boring, pointless car chase; it was refreshing to see a film that had some real suspense in the plot, as well as good acting. The businessman who was kidnapped I thought did very well in the film. And I appreciated the ending with the loyal secretary's just reward.