Well... Not sure where to start exactly. Part of me wants to say different things about this flick. When I review other people critiques of this film, I agree with some of it and disagree with even more. Overall I think the film was a success, but I do think of myself as picky, or at least having a magnifying glass when I watch films. The magnifying glass when placed in front of the screen while this plays I do see many flaws. I think the film is now dated and I wish I saw it a bit ago, or even had the privilege to watch it before I was born, when it peaked.Many critics say the film was fast paced, and I just cannot figure out what they mean. When I think fast paced I don't first think about 'Peewees Big Adventure', and that had more fast paced moments than this. So if someone asked me if this film was fast paced, I would tell them no, it would be a drama with some action.
Now, having said that, when the action does happen, it is some of the best and more suspenseful action that can be found on any reel. I feel comfortable saying this film had the best car chase of all films I have seen to date, and the chase involved a car and train. The excitement taken from that scene is just astounding. The flaw however is how that sequence begins. *Spoiler warning* When the sniper rains bullets on Popeye, and Popeye eventually makes it to the roof, the suspect is gone. Popeye locates the suspect once up on the roof and the man is running toward and almost under the bridge of railroad tracks. The very next scene is Popeye popping out from the building hot in pursuit just 20 yards from the suspect, as if the man waited for Popeye to come after him. I thought that was just absurd, I cannot imagine how the storytelling could be so unrealistic at that point. It stole much of the mojo the scene could have had. So far at this point Popeye had barely kept up with all his pursuits by means of luck and I think it would have been much better if they continued that for his character's sake and just for the sake of realism.
*Spoiler warning* Another scene that drove me up a wall was when the police acquire the car containing drugs. The mechanics tore the car down to every single nut and bolt, dropping the engine, taking the tires off the rims, and completely stripping down the interior. Once they find what they were looking for, they have it completely rebuilt from head to toe in less than a single evening without a scratch. Even the hidden location of the drugs was back to perfection as if nothing had happened. Now, I tried to justify this to myself for the story's sake, maybe they found a duplicate car? No, I just don't buy it. To find a car that an owner would recognize as not being his is an extremely hard task, let alone doing it well after the sun is down, and finding it before the sun comes up and reinstalling the "goods". I just cannot let this by me.
So, with both of those particular flaws, and some sprinkled unrealistic moments throughout the film I leave it now to critique the acting and story itself. The acting was almost solely done by Gene Hackman, at least on a quality base. Chief Martin Brody, I mean Roy Scheider was just, average at best. I have only seen Scheider worth a nickel in 'Jaws', and here he abandons Hackman to fend for the film by himself. So many of Gene Hackman's films are solely acted by himself, and sometimes I wonder what and where Hackman's great films are. I know this is supposed to be one of the chief projects but, he seems to play the same character in all his films, making him obviously range-less. I am still excited about seeing Hackman, but it is clear 'The Conversation' is his best.
This film surprised me a little, but gave me a bit less than I wanted from it. I thought the police officers in the film were just made too average for me to care, they actually felt dumb. Even the villains in the film felt dumb, in fact I am not sure a wise man existed in the whole story.
I do want to make a quick note regarding the film 'We Own the Night', and it is that it ripped a ton of material from 'The French Connection'. I thought 'We Own the Night' was a decent film, but now is far less in my book having seen its predecessor. This film was shot a bit too slow to keep my on the edge of my seat and the edge of my seat was where I wanted to be.
I would say see the film if you haven't just because it is regarded as an essential action piece, but don't build it up too much.
"The French Connection"
7/10
7/10
