Honestly, if this movie had not included the aforementioned shooting scene, there would be really not much to see. In short, a not bad idea with a bad delivery. Acting not really believable and pardon me, Franch actors trying not to sound French, even with their voices dubbed onto the movie as they most probably could not deliver acting performance together with not sounding French. Funny if not ridiculous at times. Instead of saying the usual French 'otel' - I mean 'hotel', pronouncing every single syllable to the best of their abilities. Totally unbelievable role of the female cop, naive, dumb and artificial. Nice try, try harder next time...
21 Reviews
Flawed and Unbelievable Story, But Entertains
claudio_carvalho14 July 2006
In Paris, the twelve years old girl Alice (Alexandra Negrão) arrives to the police station, and asks to meet detective Anita (Asia Argento). In her office, Alice tells that her mother Eva (Frances Barber) is a sadistic killer and delivers a video showing Eva torturing and killing their maid Sunya. The chief of police does not believe in Alice, but Anita decides to investigate by her own and finds that Eva is a powerful and wealthy leader of an international criminal organization. When Alice escapes from the guard of the detective in charge of her security, she decides to travel to Portugal to meet her father, who is supposedly dead, and is chased by two gangster of Eva's organization. Alice meets the traumatized mercenary Hugo (Jean-Marc Barr), who protects and travels with her to Portugal, trying to find her father, while Eva and Anita also travels to that country.
"La Sirène Rouge" is one of the most unbelievable and flawed screenplay I have ever seen. The storyline is actually a great absurd since the very first beginning until the last scene. Nevertheless, there are many action scenes and shooting and this movie entertains. I personally am a fan of Asia Argento, and her name in the credits was the great attraction for me to see this movie. In the hotel, in the check-in of Hugo and Alice, the soccer game is between Flamengo and another Brazilian team. Later, we can hear the speaker narrating another soccer game in Brazil. Therefore, the language is Portuguese, but the teams and the accent are not from Portugal. I found this sequence ridiculously hilarious. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Alerta Vermelho" ("The Red Alert")
"La Sirène Rouge" is one of the most unbelievable and flawed screenplay I have ever seen. The storyline is actually a great absurd since the very first beginning until the last scene. Nevertheless, there are many action scenes and shooting and this movie entertains. I personally am a fan of Asia Argento, and her name in the credits was the great attraction for me to see this movie. In the hotel, in the check-in of Hugo and Alice, the soccer game is between Flamengo and another Brazilian team. Later, we can hear the speaker narrating another soccer game in Brazil. Therefore, the language is Portuguese, but the teams and the accent are not from Portugal. I found this sequence ridiculously hilarious. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Alerta Vermelho" ("The Red Alert")
Where have I seen this before...
natashabowiepinky25 December 2013
I must confess... my low rating of this has to do with a similar plot (pre-teen girl who's life is in danger taken under the wing of a professional assassin) being much better utilised in Leon, with far more suspense and gripping action. It also had the added bonus of a young Natalie Portman, rather than the whiny brat who constantly lands everyone in trouble here. Add to that the main shootout being a poorly edited, shot-in-green-light farce, and a villainess who, if she chewed any more carpet, would have a completely bare house, and you can see we have real problems here.
Still, it's not all bad. Jean-Marc Barr compellingly plays the ice-cool hired killer, and Asia Argento makes for a sexy yet intelligent officer. We get to see quite a few scenic highlights of Europe, and the plot moves along with just the right speed to stop boredom setting in. It's just the feeling of deja vu is constant from the first shot... And I guarantee you've seen it done better. I know I keep bringing this point up in my reviews, but if the boot fits... 5/10.
Still, it's not all bad. Jean-Marc Barr compellingly plays the ice-cool hired killer, and Asia Argento makes for a sexy yet intelligent officer. We get to see quite a few scenic highlights of Europe, and the plot moves along with just the right speed to stop boredom setting in. It's just the feeling of deja vu is constant from the first shot... And I guarantee you've seen it done better. I know I keep bringing this point up in my reviews, but if the boot fits... 5/10.
Astoundingly bad
Mrswing23 May 2003
Another train wreck of an action movie (sort of) from the Besson stable... A totally ridiculous storyline about a girl on the run from her superpowerful mother who is evil incarnate (and makes sure everyone knows it all the tile). The girl gets help from a nice mercenary, who takes her to find her missing presumed dead father in Portugal. Acting is generally dreadful (and given the international cast, it's obvious that many actors have been dubbed - badly). There's no rhythm to the story : the first major action sequence occurs more than halfway into the film. And the second and final major action sequence is a ridiculously choreographed fistfight (without Hong Kong influences, for once). Dialogue is dreadful, the psychology is beyond unbelievable, major coincidences are necessary to keep the plot going... It's amazing that 5 people (including the original author AND science fiction great Norman Spinrad) were involved in writing this turkey. The opening part of the film is visually striking but as things go on, style is forgotten. I guess director Olivier Megaton should change his (pen?)name to Olivier Megadud... He's probably quite good at making videoclips or commercials but shows absolutely no talent for storytelling or working with actors. Which means he's perfect for Joel Silver's upcoming projects! Quick, someone call Hollywood!!!
Entertaining Suspense/occasional action
roldog2718 October 2004
What's to complain about? This was a B rate "action" film. There's an evil evil bad guy (woman) trying to get her prize (daughter) at all costs, while the good guys (guy with a guilty conscience and tough female cop) try to deliver the prize to its rightful owner (the father). This isn't Silence of the Lambs, or North by Northwest. It is chase scenes, gun fights, macho talk, etc.. entertainment like XXX (Vin Diesel), SWAT, or some other entertainment. Jump of your high horse and enjoy yourself! There's nothing here you haven't seen before. However I thought it was well done and entertaining. So what if The Professional with Jean Reno has done this before and better? I like all the movies listed above including Red Siren, and appreciate each for its own merits.
Thoughtful and Stylish
pclans127 March 2005
This bloody yet stylish European action thriller is well filmed and ambiguous enough to allow your imagination space for thought. Olivier Megaton direction is thoughtful and holds this interesting picture together. Jean-Marc Barr is good as the trained assassin who becomes the girl's protector. His acting inspires confidence and credibility to become Alice's (the girls) savior. Asia Argento who plays Anita a cynical Police Inspector who also needs to protect Alice. This seems to be at the core of this movie. Both Anita (Argento) and Hugo (Barr) need to protect this girl for personal reasons. Although the film does not elaborate on Anita's past you can sense her empathy seeing Alice as the girl within herself. Hugo on the other hand is a loner and has become jaded by his past experiences and through Alice he finds a reason to once again believe in his own goodness. - PCL
Booooooring
ODDBear12 August 2004
I'm a huge fan of the Argento's and I watched this movie only because of Asia's presence. I really shouldn't have.
The plot centers around a girl who claims her mother is a vicious murderer and the girl winds befriending a french "Leon" type assassin who helps her find her long lost father. But the deranged mother wants her daughter back and hires the most incompetent assassins ever to get to her. Also, a totally incompetent cop, played by Asia, is on their trail too.
There's nothing here of any substance. No character devolopment, some of the stubidest dialouge ever, no suspense, bad acting and very boring (and long) action sequences. Everything in the technical department is well done but when there's no substance the film is simply boring. And it's way too overlong.
I simply cannot believe Asia is refusing to work with her father and chooses these projects instead. This film isn't as boring as XXX, but it comes close.
The plot centers around a girl who claims her mother is a vicious murderer and the girl winds befriending a french "Leon" type assassin who helps her find her long lost father. But the deranged mother wants her daughter back and hires the most incompetent assassins ever to get to her. Also, a totally incompetent cop, played by Asia, is on their trail too.
There's nothing here of any substance. No character devolopment, some of the stubidest dialouge ever, no suspense, bad acting and very boring (and long) action sequences. Everything in the technical department is well done but when there's no substance the film is simply boring. And it's way too overlong.
I simply cannot believe Asia is refusing to work with her father and chooses these projects instead. This film isn't as boring as XXX, but it comes close.
OK thriller
jhs3928 May 2003
Euro thriller is flawed but mostly entertaining. Casting is a typical Euro-pudding mish-mash of international actors and varying accents, with some actors obviously and not particularly well-dubbed. Asia Argento at least does her own dialogue, but some of the voice actors here are stiff enough to be distracting, particularly the girl, who never really generates much sympathy since her line readings have all the emotion of a bored child in language class. The central relationship between the good-hearted mercenary and the girl on the run from men with guns is highly reminiscent of Leon, but without any of the chemistry. Like most European films shot in English the script suffers from frequent, occasionally laughable tin ear for the language. On the plus side the movie is quite stylish and the suspense set pieces are well-constructed and mostly quite effective. On the whole I would recommend this one, but with a more competent English language rewrite and a cast that actually could speak the language, this might have been a far better film.
The worst possible adaptation of a pretty good action book (careful; SPOILER included)
jeremy-houssay24 September 2004
Warning: Spoilers
The book is good. Written by a French author living in Canada, it mixes the innocence of childhood with the atrocity of warfare. The first is personified by a young girl trying to escape the authority of her quite unrecommendable mother; the second by a mercenary who just came back from Bosnia, where he experienced killings and genocide. The story is about him finding back traces of innocence by helping her to escape, to survive, and therefore to grow up. It is full of complexity in the characters and of permanent tension in the plot. It is the basis for an excellent movie.
Alas, ladies and gentlemen, here comes the first part of the spoiler: this isn't an adaptation from this book, or at least it goes so far from the book's purpose that it's unbearable. First, it is untruthful. Second, and more important, the freedom it takes towards the book doesn't make it better, on the contrary: the bad guys look strangely unprepared, the girl's mother isn't a powerful woman at all and looks completely unable to rationalize the gang she's supposed to lead.
More important, the girl becomes almost a secondary character, when she was at the core of the plot in the book - along with her father, the only convincing character in the film. Jean-Marc Barr doesn't show what he's able to do, and most actors (especially Asia Argento) empoverish their characters by forgetting they are excellent actors. The multiplicity of languages isn't rendered. And the final scene where Hugo refuses to stay with Anita, symbolizing his complete comeback to innocence and childhood, is turned into a strange enrollment of the girl into the pro-weapons lobby...
In short, this story deserves another film, with the same budget, the same technical crew (action scenes and visual effects are great, especially for a French movie!), and more or less the same actors. But a different choice should be made in what to keep from the book...
Alas, ladies and gentlemen, here comes the first part of the spoiler: this isn't an adaptation from this book, or at least it goes so far from the book's purpose that it's unbearable. First, it is untruthful. Second, and more important, the freedom it takes towards the book doesn't make it better, on the contrary: the bad guys look strangely unprepared, the girl's mother isn't a powerful woman at all and looks completely unable to rationalize the gang she's supposed to lead.
More important, the girl becomes almost a secondary character, when she was at the core of the plot in the book - along with her father, the only convincing character in the film. Jean-Marc Barr doesn't show what he's able to do, and most actors (especially Asia Argento) empoverish their characters by forgetting they are excellent actors. The multiplicity of languages isn't rendered. And the final scene where Hugo refuses to stay with Anita, symbolizing his complete comeback to innocence and childhood, is turned into a strange enrollment of the girl into the pro-weapons lobby...
In short, this story deserves another film, with the same budget, the same technical crew (action scenes and visual effects are great, especially for a French movie!), and more or less the same actors. But a different choice should be made in what to keep from the book...
Some good parts, great cinematography.
Rainsford514 February 2004
The main reason for seeing this film would the chance to see Jean-Marc Barr make good work of his strong role in an otherwise far fetched but entertaining film with a weak supporting cast and a poor script. What really struck me upon first viewing was how dark the story got as the storyline unfolded. Nice images and some good action shots hold it together when the majority of the actors can't.
I have to state that the character of the mother (Eva) is the worst characterization that I've seen in quite some time. I readily will credit European cinema (incl UK) in more originality and risk taking, but this character seems to be derived directly from Cruela Deville in "101 Dalmations" crossed with Jude from "The Crying Game" in both appearance and manner and it doesn't work at all. She's more of a nuisance than a threat. It's her henchmen that are the real antagonists here instead.
Jean-Marc delivers a solid performance and his good press for his acting is well credited in this film. The child "Alice" is okay, but I don't feel as though I connected as well as I could have with this character. What's strongest here is the cinematography and art direction, with some strength from the director in his action shots, believable or not. Overall, it's an interesting film and worth a try but definitely an acquired taste.
I have to state that the character of the mother (Eva) is the worst characterization that I've seen in quite some time. I readily will credit European cinema (incl UK) in more originality and risk taking, but this character seems to be derived directly from Cruela Deville in "101 Dalmations" crossed with Jude from "The Crying Game" in both appearance and manner and it doesn't work at all. She's more of a nuisance than a threat. It's her henchmen that are the real antagonists here instead.
Jean-Marc delivers a solid performance and his good press for his acting is well credited in this film. The child "Alice" is okay, but I don't feel as though I connected as well as I could have with this character. What's strongest here is the cinematography and art direction, with some strength from the director in his action shots, believable or not. Overall, it's an interesting film and worth a try but definitely an acquired taste.
The ruins of an interesting novel
homme_a_la_cape_noire2 September 2002
I went to see this film because I had read the novel by Dantec. The litterature is not a masterpiece but constitutes the basis for a wonderful film. Unfortunately, Mr Megaton(the director), seems to have misunderstood the strength of the novel. This story is a psychological one based on the relationship of a daughter with her murderer mother and the one of a little girl with an idealistic Bosnia Mercenary. The Director Olivier Megaton does a very poor job at expressing these complexities beeing to buisy showing long shooting and actions scenes, giant explosions etc...
Except from Jean Marc Barr who is somehow convincing as Hugo, the actors interpret the complex characters whith very talent and little complexity. The mother murderer seems like a movie version of Cruela Devil from the 101 dalmatians. The plot beeing somehow far fetched, this film's characters needed to be given realism to make the experience fulfilling.
Yes the shooting scenes are filmed with talent and the sound quality is astounding but pure technique and craftmanship are not enough to make a movie. The film lacks layers and depths. Few people in Europe needed to be convinced that a European director could make an action movie. The problem is that this movie is the synthesis between the worse in European and American films It is filled with useless actions scenes, flat acting and unfinished characters(like in usual action hollywood films) and it has the badly explored psychological, philosophical and social themes of an unsuccesful european film
Except from Jean Marc Barr who is somehow convincing as Hugo, the actors interpret the complex characters whith very talent and little complexity. The mother murderer seems like a movie version of Cruela Devil from the 101 dalmatians. The plot beeing somehow far fetched, this film's characters needed to be given realism to make the experience fulfilling.
Yes the shooting scenes are filmed with talent and the sound quality is astounding but pure technique and craftmanship are not enough to make a movie. The film lacks layers and depths. Few people in Europe needed to be convinced that a European director could make an action movie. The problem is that this movie is the synthesis between the worse in European and American films It is filled with useless actions scenes, flat acting and unfinished characters(like in usual action hollywood films) and it has the badly explored psychological, philosophical and social themes of an unsuccesful european film
Well done Euro action/thriller
DomuOtomo8 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I heard about this film and thought 'meh, sounds like a corny action b-film', expecting something along the lines of XXX. But was taken by delightful surprise after seeing it one night on the Movie Network. Olivier Megaton does a very good job filming this movie, with points for action sequences and style. There are no corny one line phrases you see in typical 0ver-rated action films, and it provides a good selection of characters. The action scenes are beautifully filmed, preferably the gun battle in the hotel and the when the film climaxes at Alice's father's place near the end. The rotating camera around Alice as she kills her mother was a pretty damn cool idea. Acting itself was decent, nothing spectacular but nothing to complain about. Good mix of characters and satisfactory storyline. 7.5-8/10
Red Siren
Scarecrow-8810 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A young girl named Alice(Alexandra Negrão)calls on Inspector Anita(Asia Argento, playing a normal person..seems to be going through the motions)to help put her assassin mother Eva(Frances Barber..one evil bitch)away because of the torture/execution of a maid recorded on disc. The killer, however, had a mask and the voice was mechanically altered. Even worse, Eva is a wealthy, powerful woman no matter how cold-blooded she is. Alice will go on the lam as Eva's goons are in hot pursuit. Luckily for Alice she hides in the car of Hugo(Jean-Marc Barr), a freedom fighter for a assassin group called Liberty Bells, who we saw in the opening accidentally kill a child he thought was a soldier. Hugo will assist Alice in the search for her boatmaker father Travis(Johan Leysen)while Eva draws on her lover, the Colonel(Carlo Brandt)and his top mercenary Sorvan(François Levantal)to find their whereabouts. Meanwhile, Anita will be given leave by her boss to go on the road to find Alice herself. It will all lead to a final showdown in the secret location/residence of Alice's father..that is if Hugo can get her there in one piece and if he's even alive.
While, like many of it's kind, this polished, ultra-stylish Euro-actioner asks the viewer to accept a lot of improbable situations(such as the bullet-ridden hotel sequence where several of the Colonel's soldiers attempt to flush Hugo out from hiding resulting in lots of hi-tech gunplay)and coincidences(Alice just happening to choose a talented, top-notch assassin's car to hide in while running from Eva's goons). I enjoyed it even if logic is completely thrown out the window. I liked Jean-Marc as the hero Hugo and thought Barber was effective as the reptilian Eva.
While, like many of it's kind, this polished, ultra-stylish Euro-actioner asks the viewer to accept a lot of improbable situations(such as the bullet-ridden hotel sequence where several of the Colonel's soldiers attempt to flush Hugo out from hiding resulting in lots of hi-tech gunplay)and coincidences(Alice just happening to choose a talented, top-notch assassin's car to hide in while running from Eva's goons). I enjoyed it even if logic is completely thrown out the window. I liked Jean-Marc as the hero Hugo and thought Barber was effective as the reptilian Eva.
Slick but sloppy
=G=25 February 2005
"The Red Siren" is a B-flick about a teen runaway who falls in with a part time soldier-of-fortune who protects her from a small army of Mom's heavies while a beautiful cop (Argento) tries to find them to help out. In spite of some good camera work and real locations, this film has a phony plot and characters who aren't even remotely believable. Scripting, editing, and direction is lousy giving "The Red Siren" a slick but sloppy look with very little going for it save a bit of action (one fire fight), a brief chase scene and no romance or sex. Pretty awful stuff even for the couch potato, this is a good film to pass over. Not recommendable except for fans of Argento who get's precious little screen time.(C)
Good French action film
jean_paul_blanc21 August 2002
This is the kind of movie that allow me to say that French directors are able to make as good action movies as American ones. It's perhaps not so good as "Leon" or "Nikita" from Besson, but it's a new director : Megaton. The fact is that there are not as much electronics gadgets as in American movies, but we can see very nice pictures.
Oedipus action thriller
greenforest565 July 2008
This could have been a far better film than it was. It had a number of strengths: good script, excellent directing, good score and sound editing, good character development, etc.
However, it had one glaring fault that kept it from reaching its potential: the two leads couldn't act. If an actor's emotional range is say an octave, these two could only sing two notes. The supporting actress (detective) had about three. Together they had the dynamism of drying paint.
Despite this failure in casting this is still a good movie worth watching. It just could've been better. Its other strengths both redeem and save it. Even the Oedipal moment that was obviously coming, and one secretly cringed at its coming, when it finally came seemed a natural and just denouement.
One last observation: some may criticize the military tactics, i.e. speed of the attack; remember, this is make believe, not a training film. One might as well criticize the magic Hollywood guns that have far more bullets than any single clip will ever hold.
However, it had one glaring fault that kept it from reaching its potential: the two leads couldn't act. If an actor's emotional range is say an octave, these two could only sing two notes. The supporting actress (detective) had about three. Together they had the dynamism of drying paint.
Despite this failure in casting this is still a good movie worth watching. It just could've been better. Its other strengths both redeem and save it. Even the Oedipal moment that was obviously coming, and one secretly cringed at its coming, when it finally came seemed a natural and just denouement.
One last observation: some may criticize the military tactics, i.e. speed of the attack; remember, this is make believe, not a training film. One might as well criticize the magic Hollywood guns that have far more bullets than any single clip will ever hold.
It has potential
jordondave-2808518 August 2023
(2002) Red Siren/ La sirène rouge
(In French with English subtitles)
THRILLER/ ACTION
An adaptation of Maurice G. Dantec's "La Sirene Rouge" about 12 or 13 year old little girl coming into a police woman's, Anita (Asia Argento) office to report a murder of her favorite nanny. A nanny who was killed as a result of an extra marital affair that came between her mother, Eva (Frances Barber) and her father. Except that Eva is wealthy and powerful and will do anything to prevent this exposure from happening. While this little girl is escaping, she finally finds solitude when she meets up with a trained assassin, Hugo (Jean-Marc Barr) who felt troubled after he accidentally shoots a little boy that happened at the start of this film, and is wanting to make amends by helping the little girl find her biological father.
Somewhat low budget and action-less until at least after the first hour when trained mercs entered the building where the assassin and the little girl are staying! This movie has it's moments, but the plot is very conventional! This movie gets a pass since it does have potential!
An adaptation of Maurice G. Dantec's "La Sirene Rouge" about 12 or 13 year old little girl coming into a police woman's, Anita (Asia Argento) office to report a murder of her favorite nanny. A nanny who was killed as a result of an extra marital affair that came between her mother, Eva (Frances Barber) and her father. Except that Eva is wealthy and powerful and will do anything to prevent this exposure from happening. While this little girl is escaping, she finally finds solitude when she meets up with a trained assassin, Hugo (Jean-Marc Barr) who felt troubled after he accidentally shoots a little boy that happened at the start of this film, and is wanting to make amends by helping the little girl find her biological father.
Somewhat low budget and action-less until at least after the first hour when trained mercs entered the building where the assassin and the little girl are staying! This movie has it's moments, but the plot is very conventional! This movie gets a pass since it does have potential!
Like action? Like thrillers? Get over here and slap your peepers on this then!
Zombified_66028 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, having just watched The Red Siren, I have to ask why. Why has this excellent euro-thriller been ignored so much that the only way I heard about it was by drifting about looking for Asia Argento movies on Play.com, post Land of the Dead. In the end I wound up watching this and xXx in my quest, and while I've got a lot of love for Messers Diesel and Cohn and their crazy 2 hour explosion-fest, The Red Siren shoots xXx out of the water like a crazed redneck with a sawn off.
The plot is best described as a familiar tale unconventionally told, involving a freedom fighter and a detective (played thoughtfully and powerfully by Argento) who find themselves unavoidably entwined in an attempt to save Alice, a young girl on the run from her maniacal gangster mother. This is not unheard of as a plot line in thrillers, but it's told in a wonderfully organic and odd fashion, making the movie feel fresh and new.
The acting is great, even if at times the dialogue becomes strained as a result of the cultural diversity of the cast (there's almost every major European nationality in here at some point, leading to some lines being a little garbled or sounding out of place). In fact, the acting is on par with anything Hollywood has to offer. Speaking of Hollywood, lovers of big budget action will not be disappointed with Red Siren, as it redefines the words 'slick manic action'. While not an orgy of destruction like the aforementioned xXx, Red Siren has both great car chases and some of the best set piece battles I've seen for a good long while. The hotel shoot-out is so fantastic you'll need to remind yourself to breathe.
All in all, Red Siren is essential viewing for any action nut. It has fantastic acting, a great story and frenetic action sequences. Couple this with an arresting visual style and consummate direction and we're onto a winner.
The plot is best described as a familiar tale unconventionally told, involving a freedom fighter and a detective (played thoughtfully and powerfully by Argento) who find themselves unavoidably entwined in an attempt to save Alice, a young girl on the run from her maniacal gangster mother. This is not unheard of as a plot line in thrillers, but it's told in a wonderfully organic and odd fashion, making the movie feel fresh and new.
The acting is great, even if at times the dialogue becomes strained as a result of the cultural diversity of the cast (there's almost every major European nationality in here at some point, leading to some lines being a little garbled or sounding out of place). In fact, the acting is on par with anything Hollywood has to offer. Speaking of Hollywood, lovers of big budget action will not be disappointed with Red Siren, as it redefines the words 'slick manic action'. While not an orgy of destruction like the aforementioned xXx, Red Siren has both great car chases and some of the best set piece battles I've seen for a good long while. The hotel shoot-out is so fantastic you'll need to remind yourself to breathe.
All in all, Red Siren is essential viewing for any action nut. It has fantastic acting, a great story and frenetic action sequences. Couple this with an arresting visual style and consummate direction and we're onto a winner.
Astonishing Colors
ejderkelebek29 March 2007
I liked this film. The cinematography is just awesome. The colors used in this film are just great.The blue in the Hugo, Alice trip, the green in the ambush scene, were just marvelous. Morover than the cinematography film itself is a great one. What are missing than.
The missing is the exaggerated mother. The mother is really very bad put into screen and the bad guy talks. The tempo of the film is in some place dropping there are pretty unnecessary scenes. But the trip scene of Hugo and Alice the ambush scene were one of the best I have ever seen. Those two scenes make me watch it. Hope you enjoy as well, I think it is worth watching.
The missing is the exaggerated mother. The mother is really very bad put into screen and the bad guy talks. The tempo of the film is in some place dropping there are pretty unnecessary scenes. But the trip scene of Hugo and Alice the ambush scene were one of the best I have ever seen. Those two scenes make me watch it. Hope you enjoy as well, I think it is worth watching.
A hybrid and strong film.
doctor.avalanche27 August 2002
From the Maurice G. Dantec novel (author of Les Rivieres Pourpres), Olivier Megaton's film reminds us Luc Besson's The Professional (Leon). It could be no surprise, since Besson produced his first long feature film 'Exit', but the similarities are only in the script. After the 15 awkward first minutes (with the Rammstein 'Sonne' song during the title - not really useful) with an Asia Argento still not comfortable with her english, the director shows his ability to do good intimate scenes - these scenes (dialogues in rooms or in cars) were the strong point of the book, and are the backbone of the film. Contrary to Besson's film which pretended to be an american film, Megaton's cast and set gives a great European feeling. Alexandra Negrao is impressive, and Jean-Marc Barr gives a pure and quiet rendition of Hugo. If you go past the first impression and the action sequences, you might find the atmosphere of this film very touching.
Beautifully shot,
daily_juice-12 April 2004
Although a little slow at the start the Red Siren warms up to be a movie worth watching.
What the red siren lacks in terms of a strong story line it makes up in the magical way it has been filmed. I would recommend seeing this film just for the magic behind some scenes.
The plot is somewhat weak and it feels like something is missing at the end and some of the acting is lacking at times but all in all I found the Red Siren to be a good movie.
Hugo and Alice make a good team and the chemistry between the actors make it believable for Hugo to be transporting Alice across Europe.
What the red siren lacks in terms of a strong story line it makes up in the magical way it has been filmed. I would recommend seeing this film just for the magic behind some scenes.
The plot is somewhat weak and it feels like something is missing at the end and some of the acting is lacking at times but all in all I found the Red Siren to be a good movie.
Hugo and Alice make a good team and the chemistry between the actors make it believable for Hugo to be transporting Alice across Europe.
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