French action star Jean Reno re-teams with Thierry Arbogast, the cinematographer on LA FEMME NIKITA and,THE FIFTH ELEMENT, for action thriller COLD BLOOD. In this English-language French-Ukrainian film, Jean Reno plays a legendary hit man, the kind of role he has played well many times. With the help of cinematographer Arbogast, stunning locations, and a good supporting cast, they do their best to add style and suspense to this action thriller. Unfortunately, it is not enough to overcome the messy, nonsensical script.
Reno plays a retired hit man living in a remote cabin in Washington State when a young woman (Sara Lind), who has been injured in a snowmobile accident, suddenly turns up nearly on his doorstep. This begins a twisty tale built around the assassination of a mysterious billionaire, a tale of secrets, power, and money, with a couple of persistent cops on the case and all set in a snowy Washington State landscape.
With Thierry Arbogast’s stylish, striking cinematography and some breathtaking scenery, the film almost looks like a James Bond-like thriller. COLD BLOOD also stars Joe Anderson (TWILIGHT), David Gyasi (INTERSTELLAR), François Guétary (“Lost”) and Samantha Bond (“Downton Abbey”). Director Frédéric Petitjean does try to build suspense and create a feeling of a mystery but he is battling a script that isn’t sure where it wants to go. However, he bears blame for this mess, as he also wrote the script.
This film is filled with odd bits that seem to be there for no logical reason, or maybe because the filmmaker just wanted to include it but didn’t know how. The film opens in Washington State at Reno’s hermit hit man’s snowbound cabin but then flashes back to months earlier in New York City, where a wealthy man is assassinated. The film switches to Washington State for the millionaire’s lavish funeral. But then something weird happens, and the murder investigation moves to WA too.
Maybe the writer/director didn’t know that is not how murder investigations work in the U.S. or maybe there is an unseen investigation in NYC going on, but it really does not make sense – except that the filmmaker wanted the rest of the story to take place in snowy rural Washington (with Ukraine playing the part of Washington State). Why the script didn’t have the murder take place there to begin with is not clear, except maybe the filmmakers just wanted to shoot in NY (which plays itself in its brief scenes).
That bit of illogical plot is typical of the strangeness that runs throughout this thriller. If some of these oddities could have been played for comedy, but the film is played completely without humor. A few examples: In one scene as the young woman recuperates in the cabin, Reno’s character Henry fries a fish and serves her the whole fish on a plate, with only a wooden spoon to eat it. Neither of them reacts, as if everyone eats fried fish with a wooden spoon. Hmm. It’s not the only example either.
Overall, the plot makes no real sense and stretches itself in all kinds of directions trying to create plot twists and surprises. At times, the plot is far too transparent and then completely confusing at others. Although the film is in English, it is clear that some of the cast are dubbed, which adds an additional distraction to some scenes. The film ends with a dramatic scene, but since the script has not bothered to keep track of all the loose ends, it leaves the audience with plenty of unanswered questions and even big plot points unresolved. If they are still there.
Arbogast’s cinematography is spectacular, making the best of the film’s admittedly wonderful locations, which include breathtaking wilderness scenery and stately mansions. The cinematography and art direction are excellent, providing the film’s major enjoyment, Too bad all that beauty serves such a lame story.
Likewise, Reno does his best with this sorry material, and he manages to milk a few good moments, Overall the cast is good but there is only so much they and Reno can do with this sloppily cobbled together story.
COLD BLOOD opens Friday, July 5, in several cities and is available on-demand.
RATING: 1 out of 4 stars
