SUBWAY (1985 || FRANCE)


RATING:


By Shawn McKenna
Date Reviewed: October 11, 1997
Subway is a movie that tries to be an American film. It includes a car chase, humor, a love story, and even a musical number. It tries to do so much that it completely forgets about the characters. That is a shame because it could have been a much better movie. The movie stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander) as Fred a deceitful thief who steals a package from the mob after seducing the mob boss's girlfriend and goes underground, literally, to escape from his pursuers. In the subway he meets an assortment of motley characters that live under the subway. There is the Roller who steals purses and then escapes with his skates. There is a big black man who weightlifts with subway parts. Then there is a group of musicians that practice in one of the subway shops. These characters come and go. The movie gets off track when it tries to introduce a romance between Lambert and the mob boss's girlfriend Helena (Isabelle Adjani). She is sent by the mob to get the package back. Of course they fall in love.

If the movie lopped off the cliched romance and concentrated on learning more about Fred then this movie would have been a lot more intriguing. The movie never delves deep enough into understanding its characters. They are shown and then thrown away. And why does Fred help out the subway group and get them a singer as well as a place to play, all while trying to dodge the mob? The musical number is presented at the same time as the shoot out between the mob and Fred. Not until the very end where it seems that Luc Besson has a flicker of brillance do we see that this movie could have been much better.

Next time if you signifigant other or friend tells you that foreign movies are more sublime that American films show him or her this film.

SUBWAY (1985 || FRANCE)
Helena............................Isabelle Adjani
Fred................................Christopher Lambert
The Roller........................Jean-Hugues Anglade
Drummer..........................Jean Reno
Batman............................Pierre Bacri
Robin...............................Jean-Claude Lecas
Big Black.........................Jimmy Blanche
Florist..............................Richard Bohringer
Station master..................Jean Bouise
Commissioner Gesberg.....Michel Galabru
Commissioner..................Bernard Pollak

Director:...................Luc Besson
Written By:...............Luc Besson
Music By:.................Eric Serra
Cinematography By:..Carlo Varini
Edited By:................Sophie Schmit
Produced By:.............Luc Besson

Running Time:..........104m.
Rated:.....................R
Genre:.....................Foreign/Cult
Country:..................France
Widescreen:............CinemaScope (2.35:1)

Other Critics


Leonard Maltin's Rating
**

Awards, Facts, and Oddities

BACK TO 'S'
BACK TO MY HOMEPAGE