Quantity One on Netflix is a weekly highlight on no matter is at the moment the most well-liked factor on the world’s hottest streaming service. Generally it’ll be a film. Generally it’ll be a TV present. No matter it’s, lots of people are clearly watching, and we’ll attempt to perceive why with a fast evaluate. Right this moment, we’re wanting on the French motion thriller Advert Vitam.
Franck (Guillaume Canet) is a cop with some actual particular abilities, who met his spouse Léo (Stéphane Caillard) once they had been each trainees in France’s gendarmerie. 10 years into their relationship, Léo’s pregnant, and the joyful couple are wanting ahead to welcoming their firstborn… till, that’s, armed males break into their dwelling, kidnap Léo, and body Franck for some crimes. Now Franck’s on the run, attempting to keep away from the authorities whereas save the girl he loves.
It’s a reasonably easy set-up for a conspiracy thriller, one with a transparent emotional hook, which looks as if a giant a part of why Advert Vitam (Latin for “To life”) has secured a strong place on the Netflix Prime 10 globally since its launch final week. Sure, it’s a French thriller, however its worldwide attain is enabled by the dubbing out there in 19 completely different languages (I sampled the English dub, and it was fairly strong as these items go).
Actually, you may remake this film tomorrow in English with Liam Neeson because the lead — although, contemplating Neeson’s age, possibly it’d be higher if it was a daughter who was pregnant. There’s some strong motion all through, with sequences that vaguely method James Bond of their silliness. You recognize these powered paragliders, that are principally only a big fan connected to a parachute and a chair? In direction of the tip of the movie, Franck makes a daring escape on one.
Advert Vitam‘s most notable flaw is the way in which it hops again in time for an prolonged flashback to Franck and Léo’s days in coaching. The preliminary set-up of the primary quarter-hour is compelling sufficient to tolerate the… (checks notes) forty-five minutes of flashbacks and set-up that comply with, however the film by no means actually recovers from that lack of momentum. It’s harking back to an often-abused trope — opening a film or episode with an excessive motion sequence, earlier than flashing again to “48 hours earlier” to arrange why this was all taking place — however not notably properly executed.
At across the hour mark, although, the total scope of the conspiracy turns into clear, and the remaining half-hour handle to maintain the motion flowing, largely because of the dedication of Guillaume Canet, a properly established actor, author, and director in France. He makes for a sympathetic lead, with a face that’s obtained a little bit of Patrick Dempsey’s twinkle (if that does something for you). There aren’t any actual breakouts from the supporting solid, although Stéphane Caillard does notably appear fairly convincing as a lady in her third trimester who can nonetheless kick some severe ass.
Whereas Advert Vitam may not be the very best Netflix has to supply, it actually feels a bit extra contemporary than the platform’s different large launch this weekend, the Jamie Foxx/Cameron Diaz motion comedy Again in Motion. (The primary quarter-hour are painfully paint-by-numbers — a 10-year-old might predict every plot beat earlier than it comes.)
Advert Vitam finally feels prefer it advantages from a quirk of any rating like this: The curiosity issue that comes with a probably unfamiliar title residing within the high slot. “Why is that film I’ve by no means heard of earlier than primary on the checklist? Guess I ought to watch it to search out out,” the informal viewer thinks, taking part in a self-perpetuating cycle that retains the film’s placement on the high safe.
That mentioned, its success within the rankings — in keeping with Tudum, it’s acquired 17.1 million views this week, and has been the #1 film not simply in America, however in 30 different nations — does reaffirm Netflix’s rising attain as a very world platform. Sure, the opposite motion pictures on the Prime 10 within the US are all American, together with the Despicable Me movies, Rush Hour and its sequel, and the Nicolas Cage meta-comedy The Insufferable Weight of Huge Expertise, however on the finish of the day, while you’re in your sofa, story is an effective story.
Advert Vitam is streaming now on Netflix.