From Paris with Love Starring: John Travolta, Jonathon Rhys Meyers Director: Pierre Morel Running Time: 92 minutes Rated: R Produced by EuropaCorp, M6 Films, Grive Productions Distributed by: Lionsgate Reviewed by Bob LaPierre, ConNotations Film Critic Release Date: February 5th, 2010

           James Reece (Jonathon Rhys Meyers) is the American Ambassador to France’s personal assistant. He is also a low level member of the secret intelligence corps. His extra duties consist of strenuous things like changing license plates and bugging government offices. He lives with his girlfriend Caroline (Kasia Smutniak) in a small apartment. She spends her time creating her own clothing (we see a dress made from the bedroom curtains) and worrying about him.

            One evening as she gives him a ring that belonged to her father and asks him to marry her, he receives a phone call that could be his ticket to higher levels of intelligence work. His task is simple, gather an operative stuck in customs and assist him in his mission. He goes to the airport and through judicious use of a quick label (Embassy Mail) gets Charlie Wax (John Travolta) out of trouble and starts a thrill ride that runs to the end of the movie.

            Wax has an unorthodox style that quickly irritates Reese. Gradually Wax tells him that they are trying to break up a terrorist plot. Reese likes to carefully analyze everything and then move, Wax is more of a shoot first and follow the body trail sort. They make a good team and I would enjoy the possibility of a follow up. I have only one major gripe with the movie, the camera work in the fights. During the fight scenes it was extremely difficult to follow the action due to the herky-jerky edit of the multiple angles.

            This is the first movie with a real chance to knock Avatar out of first place for the week.

            Four and a half stars out of five