Bastille Day

Well this just goes to show that you can put two hot blokes in the same film, set it in Paris, add some car chases and pyrotechnics - and still end up with a dud. Richard Madden (and his terrible attempt at a Nevada accent) is "Mason" an accomplished pickpocket who manages to get himself embroiled in a bombing. Spotted by CCTV, he is soon the quarry of the CIA's "Briar" (Idris Elba) before the latter realises that he is not their protagonist and that it is best the pair unite to thwart the real terrorists who are using a campaign of civil unrest to mask their real criminal intentions. James Watkins actually manages to keep the pace of this moving along quite well, but the story is far too thin and there is precisely no chemistry on screen between the gents, or between anyone and "Zoe" (Charlotte le Bon) who is also mixed up in all this mayhem. Eye candy can really help a film, and to a certain extent it does here but otherwise this is a standard made for television thriller that is light on just about everything. The condescending tones of the CIA in their dealings with their French counterparts was rather irritating too - no wonder Americans are not always overly welcome in Europe! If this was either man pitching to be the next Daniel Craig, then I'd not give up the day job.