Tags
1990's, Jean Reno, John Frankenheimer, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Robert De Niro, Ronin, Sean Bean, Skipp Sudduth, Spy, Stellan Skarsgård, Thriller
Film Title
Ronin
Director
John Frankenheimer
Starring
- Robert De Niro as Sam
- Jean Reno as Vincent
- Natascha McElhone as Deirdre
- Stellan Skarsgård as Gregor
- Sean Bean as Spence
- Skipp Sudduth as Larry
- Jonathan Pryce as Seamus O’Rourke
A thrilling and exhilarating spy thriller cast to perfection and filled with excitement and intrigue, Ronin blends political undertones with pulse-pounding action for a film that will leave you breathless.
Ronin begins with a group of operatives from different agencies who have turned mercenary meeting in Paris. Present are quick thinking Sam, unassuming Vincent, getaway driver Larry, German tech expert Gregor and Spence . Assembling them is Irishwoman Deirdre, who informs the men of why they have been summoned. They are to obtain a metallic briefcase from Nice, of which the contents remain clouded as her superiors won’t reveal what is inside it. Doing this won’t be easy as it is heavily guarded, yet with all the skills of the group it could be achieved. Yet each of the group is weary of the other and simmering distrust builds slowly. Spence is exposed as a fraud by Sam and subsequently dismissed for his gung-ho attitude. Despite this hiccup, Deirdre sets in motion the plan with all involved receiving money and if they can get their hands on the case a larger sum. They put the plan into action and initially it seems as if the case is in their sights and for the taking. Yet loyalties become blurred and betrayals take centre stage as everyone vies for the case and the hunt begins for the mysterious object. In the game of spying, trust is something hard to come by and that is especially the case as Sam teams with Vincent to discover who out of the team is lying and what the case could possibly represent for the respective parties willing to kill for it. The chase is very much on in this spy thriller.
John Frankenheimer is excellent in his direction of Ronin; creating a sense of unease right from the slow-burning start. He is well equipped at building tension before unraveling the divided feelings and machinations of the group as they pursue each other for the mysterious briefcase( which in itself takes influence from Alfred Hitchcock and his love of the MacGuffin). A scintillating and cool script offers up exciting action and well-rounded characters in a constant game of dangerous cat and mouse. I like to be surprised in a spy thriller and it was provided in many forms in Ronin. Red herrings are tossed in and with all the distrust on display, it is a maze of a story that grips like a vice. The fact that the characters all have mystery to them about their affiliations and past careers gives the brain an exercise as you try to pinpoint who among the international crew is betraying who and the loyalty of each. A part of Ronin that marks it out as something special is its refusal to dumb things down for the audience. It treats them with respect and allows their imaginations to fill in what isn’t said between people. The spectre of the Cold War is very much on the film and this in turn aids Ronin with the political slant and the feeling of an old-fashioned movie, sparked with modern intrigue. As convoluted and complex as the story becomes, Ronin doesn’t short change us on the action front. And when I say action, my oh my there is some creative highlights present. Most of all it is the car chases through the streets of France that provide the appealing and gripping centre of Ronin. These car chases are not glamorized and achieve a realistic edge to them that sets it way above the average chase scenes. You are left gasping for breath at the sheer intensity of these frenzied pursuits and that is in the best possible way. A classy and building score is just the ticket for conjuring the necessary tension and ghost of the Cold War that weighs heavy on the characters.
Whoever assembled the vast international cast of Ronin deserves a massive pat on the back as they did superb in their selection. Heading it is the wonderful Robert De Niro in a fantastic performance. With a quick wit, keen intellect and cynical attitude, his Sam is a character that we root for in the scope of the shifting maze of loyalties. He shares great chemistry with Jean Reno, who is equally as good as the quiet but very skilled Vincent. Out of the group of characters, these are the two that have an implicit trust throughout and have each others back. And with De Niro and Reno in the roles, they come to life vividly. As the lone female of the cast, Natascha McElhone infuses Deirdre with an icy personality and stand offish tendency, which makes her even more mysterious in the cloak and dagger proceedings. Stellan Skarsgård is marvellously cast as Gregor, who appears to be on the sidelines in the initial stages but reveals an unseen ruthlessness as the mission gets more intense. Sean Bean is present in mainly the first half of Ronin and he has the right bravado for his part as the lying Spence, who doesn’t quite have the stomach for this kind of spy work. Skipp Sudduth as the getaway driver has a smaller role that is still impressive, along with Jonathan Pryce as someone very interested in the briefcase too.
Ronin is everything you could ask for in a spy film. It has atmosphere, excellent characters and espionage unease. Not to mention the fact that it knows how to deliver the thrills when needed and blow you away.
beetleypete said:
Can you believe that many critics didn’t like this film, and some people spent too much time pulling it to pieces, flaw by flaw back then? Not me. I loved it! Great cast, cool locations, pointless but compelling plot, and action all the way. More of the same please! (And it’s got Jean Reno too…)
Good one, V. Best wishes, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I can’t believe that. The plot is intelligent and compelling so I can’t see much fault in it. I had a ball with it.
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beetleypete said:
Me too mate! (And I saw it at the cinema) Better than Bond, anyway…(Ha)
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vinnieh said:
Haha, well I don’t know about that but it’s on my list of best spy movies.
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alexraphael said:
You are so right. It’s a truly wonderful film. That car chase though (swoons haha)
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vinnieh said:
Those chases have to be some of the best committed to celluloid.
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Rincewind said:
This is a GREAT movie, it got a lot of criticism when it was released that it didn’t deserve. It was a great cast and a superb movie. I love it.
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vinnieh said:
I just can’t comprehend the criticisms. If anything it has a lot more brains than a lot of movies out there.
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charlypriest said:
Great movie this one
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vinnieh said:
You said it man.
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keepsmealive said:
I remember watching this because of its title, which means masterless samurai. I wondered how they were gonna make DeNiro a samurai! haha. Anyway, it turned out to be a mighty fine thriller flick. Been ages since I’ve seen it, though it does turn up in the cheap bin regularly, so maybe I can snag a copy and rewatch it.
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vinnieh said:
The title is a really intriguing one that gets you wondering how it fits to the story. A mighty fine spy thriller it is. Really can’t find fault with it. It has a complex story that keeps you on your toes as it twists and turns.
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Laura Beth said:
Thanks to your post, I’m going to ask my husband tonight if we can find it on Netflix. This looks awesome!
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vinnieh said:
Oh you won’t be disappointed with this film. Everything just clicks so well.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I can’t believe I haven’t watched this yet. I just put myself on hold for it at the library.☺️
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vinnieh said:
It’s simply thrilling from start to finish. An arresting thriller of moving motives and affiliations. Plus the action is a blast.
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reocochran said:
A very entertaining and intense movie. I always like it when Robert DeNiro does serious acting roles! Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend, if you celebrate. I will be heading after 2 more ten hour work days up to my Mom’s in Cleveland. My grandson, 7 year old Micah is tagging along, my “little shadow.” Take it easy, Vinnie! 🙂
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vinnieh said:
Intense is the right word, it left me breathless. Have a good time.
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filmsCine said:
I watched this a while back, ym friend suggested it on a Sunday afternoon and I initially thought it’s not my kind of movie. But I’m so glad I watched it because it turned out to be great! I like the ending.
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vinnieh said:
Oh this movie had me hooked from the very start. It had an amazing and twisty story that genuinely challenged me and had me guessing who was the betrayer.
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filmsCine said:
Yep, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
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vinnieh said:
Like the best spy thrillers it accomplishes that with style.
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Mark Walker said:
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Vinnie. I rewatched this again recently and I have to say that I was left as much disappoints as I was the first time. I love the build up and the characters but eventually it just got a little silly for me. As always, though, DeNiro is great and his chemistry with Reno (as you mention) is spot on.
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vinnieh said:
I’ve always liked this movie Mark, so perhaps I am a bit biased when it comes to my opinion. The old school spy ambience really drew me in.
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