Ronin is directed by John Frankenheimer, a recently deceased veteran film maker behind many classics and almost classics like Manchurian Candidate and French Connection 2 among many others. Ronin takes place in France stars Robert DeNiro as Sam, who is among couple of others (which include Stellan Skarsgård and Jean Reno) hired by one mysterious female to get one briefcase and bring its content to that female (and her superiors which remain anonymous) without asking too many questions. They make a plan and everything seems to go fine, until betrayal and double crossings take place and quest for life begins, and there aren't many that seem to be trustworthy.
I didn't know anything about the plot when I watched this so I think it is not necessary to tell too much about the story, which is full of surprises. This film is very paranoid and fast moving, if little too long. Frankenheimer was very great film maker since the action scenes and use of camera is totally brilliant in here. The two car chases are so over the top and breath takingly effective, I really wondered how they shot those scenes without killing anyone. Especially the second car chase that lasts approximately 10 minutes is among the most fast paced and outrageous scenes of chases I've ever seen, and yes, it is close to Bullit's and French Connection's similar scenes. This is no less than a proof of this talented film maker's abilities. The scenery at France and Nice is also very beautiful and they are captured incredibly smoothly with camera, especially the scenes that are shot above the city. At the end, the film becomes very exciting as there are no clues how this ends. The film is very exciting and full of twists all the time, but it all thickens at the end. Technically there's nothing bad in this film, and if it just made little more sense, this would get more stars and appreciation from me.
The film takes itself occasionally to seriously, and is too hard to believe at times, as all the characters seem to be able to track down everybody and, in a big country like France, it seems to be easy to find people who are supposed to be hiding. This film should have been little more realistic and less predictable in this department, but that is usually the case with these kinds of films. Also, the ending is little cliche as this kind of finale has been seen also previously. It seems like they had to come up with a happy ending and thus the ending is like in many other films, too.
Still I appreciate this films pretty highly as the photography and editing is so great and the tension lasts throughout the long running film. This is pretty traditional thriller film, but told with brilliant cinematic skill and nothing to blame in its technical side. I give this 7/10 rating.
I didn't know anything about the plot when I watched this so I think it is not necessary to tell too much about the story, which is full of surprises. This film is very paranoid and fast moving, if little too long. Frankenheimer was very great film maker since the action scenes and use of camera is totally brilliant in here. The two car chases are so over the top and breath takingly effective, I really wondered how they shot those scenes without killing anyone. Especially the second car chase that lasts approximately 10 minutes is among the most fast paced and outrageous scenes of chases I've ever seen, and yes, it is close to Bullit's and French Connection's similar scenes. This is no less than a proof of this talented film maker's abilities. The scenery at France and Nice is also very beautiful and they are captured incredibly smoothly with camera, especially the scenes that are shot above the city. At the end, the film becomes very exciting as there are no clues how this ends. The film is very exciting and full of twists all the time, but it all thickens at the end. Technically there's nothing bad in this film, and if it just made little more sense, this would get more stars and appreciation from me.
The film takes itself occasionally to seriously, and is too hard to believe at times, as all the characters seem to be able to track down everybody and, in a big country like France, it seems to be easy to find people who are supposed to be hiding. This film should have been little more realistic and less predictable in this department, but that is usually the case with these kinds of films. Also, the ending is little cliche as this kind of finale has been seen also previously. It seems like they had to come up with a happy ending and thus the ending is like in many other films, too.
Still I appreciate this films pretty highly as the photography and editing is so great and the tension lasts throughout the long running film. This is pretty traditional thriller film, but told with brilliant cinematic skill and nothing to blame in its technical side. I give this 7/10 rating.