Image: Richard Madden and Idris Elba in Bastille Day; Courtesy StudioCanal.
When The Bourne Identity established that European-set, chase-oriented espionage efforts had broad appeal in the twenty-first century, and then Taken did the same for kidnap-fuelled shoot-’em-ups, the action-thriller genre adopted a new checklist of essential components. Running over rooftops and barking threats down a phone ranked highly, as did the kind of no-nonsense protagonist who proves gruff, likeable, ruthless and resourceful all at once. All three aspects feature prominently in Bastille Day, which sticks to the template as though its success depends on it. Of course, it does; however this boilerplate addition to the fold is both boosted and hobbled by its adherence to convention.
That writer/helmer James Watkins’ third directorial offering hews closely to its obvious influences isn’t Bastille Day‘s chief problem, with the filmmaker’s horror-centric previous fare Eden Lake and The Woman in Black also steeped in markers of their chosen realms. Alas, that such conformity begets predictability is what ensures his Paris-set movie remains trying, and renders the film unable to reconcile the charm of leading man Idris Elba (The Jungle Book) with the routine scenario he’s trapped within. Watkins’ first-time co-scribe Andrew Baldwin also boasts a delayed Bourne feature on his resume, a fact that is all too telling.
Playing CIA agent Sean Briar, Elba goes through the motions expected of a rogue but respectable renegade who cares for results, not rules. Asked to assist fellow France-based agent Karen Dacre (Kelly Reilly, TV’s True Detective) with her latest case, he’s swiftly chasing down terror suspects and ruffling feathers in the process. After lifting a bag filled with explosives from the in-over-her-head Zoe (Charlotte Le Bon, The Walk), American pickpocket Michael Mason (Richard Madden, Cinderella) crosses Briar’s path as a suspect in a bombing plot, but soon they’re each other’s only true allies. With fresh attacks promised on the titular date, and local police skirting the law themselves, the unlikely duo takes to the streets in an attempt to stop further carnage.
If ever an actor could tackle a role like Briar, it’s the man who has been anointed the next Bond in the court of public opinion — and, as far as endeavouring to brighten up a standard-issue spies-versus-terrorists narrative, Bastille Day is an effective audition piece. Watching a well-known talent do what he does best and demonstrate his suitability for one of the world’s most famous roles isn’t enough to sustain interest, though, which is where the story’s struggles become apparent. Mining the odd-couple dynamic, as well as the street-wise grifter vibe Madden is saddled with, both try but fail to add additional intrigue. Too early, with all avenues for anything more than by-the-book flair quickly played out, the feature becomes an exercise in ticking action-thriller boxes.
Style-wise, that includes slickly choreographed but still non-descript visuals that could’ve been ripped from any number of similar movies, a handful of standout scenes included. The genuine tension Watkins wrestles out of a high-altitude set piece is undercut, like much of the film that surrounds it, by its familiarity; even when Bastille Day hits its targets, it’s merely reaching rather than exceeding genre expectations. Ultimately, the feature’s most striking element doesn’t stem from anything that unfolds on screen, or its attempts to set up a franchise for its star, but from the song that closes out the brief but bland affair. When Elba’s recognisable tones roll over the closing credits, throatily voicing a tune co-produced with Fat Boy Slim, that’s the only thing most viewers will rightfully want to remember.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Director: James Watkins
France | USA, 2016, 92 mins
Release date: May 12
Distributor: StudioCanal
Rated: M
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