Aside from it being an inexplicably 80's movie, I'm failing to see the appeal. A vagrant thief falls for the trophy wife from which he stole. He, and his quirky subway squatting friends manage to elude police, and start a pop band. Chris Lambert is pseudo-charming, but his pals are lacking depth for being such unique characters. I just found it to be a very naked movie, and from the reviews, and I can't tell what was more pretentious. The reviewers or the movie itself.
shareAside from it being an inexplicably 80's movie, I'm failing to see the appeal. A vagrant thief falls for the trophy wife from which he stole. He, and his quirky subway squatting friends manage to elude police, and start a pop band. Chris Lambert is pseudo-charming, but his pals are lacking depth for being such unique characters. I just found it to be a very naked movie, and from the reviews, and I can't tell what was more pretentious. The reviewers or the movie itself.
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Hee hee! Right the (bleep!) on, friend! I saw this initially in 1989 or thereabouts, and was immediately struck by the great sound production, and being a major fan of Lambert's at the time, (Higlander, Greystoke, etc.) was kind of impressed with the humor and oddness of the characters back then. But on re-viewing this thing, I wonder what the heck I saw in it. Just about NONE of the characters are sympathetic. Adjani seems VERY immature and bratty in the role of the trophy wife, and even the Paris Metro looks just like any subway over here!
A huge, depressing nothing of a movie!
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If you like Leon ( which I think is great) you should like Subway too. Both films turn on the development of the characters more than the storyline, and the magic is in the atmosphere that Besson can portray.
shareI Can't belive that you dont like this movie, i think that is supposed to have no point to it, tht adds to the effect of it, it is fantasic but i do agree she was immature and rather annoying but still this movie is fricken sweet
shareThis was bad even for a French film.
Character development was in starts and fits at best and lacked credibility.
Plausibility was low.
The story line was inane.
Fred was annoying to no end. I kept this flick on only in the hopes that he would be shot. And even then, Besson ruined it be letting Fred have the end and a kiss from IA. How cold she, in such a short period of time, care about such a low life loser having a bad hair life?
I even found Roller Balls annoying as all hell.
I was hoping that Jean Reno would just step up and do his hired killer thing, taking care of the annoying little goniffs.
So for you, all the movies are about spectacular actions with highend technology FX and Jean Reno killing everyone? Great.. excellent, that shows the brillant future of movie industry. By the way, if you consider it "bad even for a french film", i guess you're a kind of person who arleady doesn't hold a particular place for french movies in it's heart, do you?
Don't worry, though, we promise to do better. We'll try to make a french movie with bunch of killer-looking characters who club each other heads with baseball bats (for the american touch) with sex scenes, no wait.. rape scenes, explosions, some slow motions, lots of blood and some death metal soundtracks if we ever find any good french death metal bands. Is that okay if the characters names are "René", "Jean-Pierre" and "Pascal"? We can change them if they sound too french for you...
No, that's not true. But I shouldn't have said, "even for a French film." Although not explained, it's a remark often said tongue in cheek about French films because they represnt a paradigm of cinema. I apologize for any offense taken. Je suis désolé.
No, I'm not desperately seeking Schwarzenegger. You jump to conclusions. If I didn't "hold a particular place for french movies in it's heart" as you said, then I wouldn't have rented another Besson (French) film. I love the quality of Marion Cotillard's acting, Godard is a standard, Depardieu may be too Method-like, but he can move me with his eyes and his sense of movement. Jeanne Moreau is incomparable, and the Pagnol-based films (My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle) brought me to tears. Auteil is a chameleon and gave marvelous performances in the Jean de Florette films and Le Placard. I liked Dancer in the Dark, as you did. Catherine Deneuve still takes my breath away, whether in Belle du Jour, Cherbourg, Indochine, or Dancer.
I guess I offended you and thus your need for your comments about Americans. Your description of American films can easily be applied to Irréversible, Romance (or just about any other Catherine Breillat movie), Lila Dit Ça, Léon, Baise-moi, Seul Contre Tous etc. And as to the character names, you will find those names and many other ethnic/international origin names commonly in the US. I will add that we don't have an American equivalent of "L'Académie Française" to maintain the purity of the language and culture. Diversité, pas pureté. This includes our taste in films. I've been to France where many violent/tasteless American films play in theaters. Supply-Demand. Cap ou pas cap?
Okay, sorry if I misunterstood your statement. I felt like arguing with yet another decieved-action/violent-movie-fan so I answered quite agressively. I am also aware there are french crap in the movie industry. Irreversible or Baise-moi are the kind of movie made just to show violences and fill some wallets. Even Luc Besson made craps.. Okay Taxi 1 was good because it was the first one, and somehow fresh.. then Taxi 2 and 3 were the perfect exemple of commercial strategy applied to any sucessful movies, directed in a rush, aiming money making, pitiful acting or jokes empty of any fun.. Taxi 2 and 3 is the Luc Besson's biggest shame (and yet he's directing Taxi 4 at the moment), so is Banlieue 13, a movie giving credit to violence, almost sponsoring the gettho life-style. France also has directors only seeing movies as a business rather than art. And Luc Besson is unfortunately turning that way with his lastest craps.
This being said, Subway is a masterpiece compared to his last movies. The atmosphere in this movies was really rare for a french movie. This is what surprised people and shown Besson's talent to the audience even before he directs "Leon" or "Nikita". Even if Leon or Nikita were better, Subway is 10 years older. For a 1985 movie with original ideas or daring movie techniques, this one deserves lots of respect. I still enjoy watching that movie better than any new 2006 releases.
Now for your "supply-demand" statement, yes.. it saddens me because the global audiences is only concidered as consumers, so 'they' give them what they want.. and what they want is violence, sex and action (and sometime some nonsence philosophy inside). No more place for the artistic side. I really dislike movies made on money purposes that are just the opposite of 'cult' movies involving originality. I consider Subway as a cult movie, at least should it be by the french audience.. or it would be a great loss for french movies history.
But still you make a fine point.
Not enough car chases in Jules Et Jim. Not enough explosions in 400 Blows. And where were the terrorists taking over a baseball stadium in Breathless?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohtFT0gemY
its a stoner film people! i really enjoyed and i really enjoyed the music too altho im not into that stuff. an easy 7 out of 10 altho i have to admit i liked le dernier combat even more!happy to have both in my dvd collection unhappy my subway version is 98 min having seen here that theres another one thats 104!!
what am i missing??whats the 6 min difference please someone enlighten me
thaanks
This is an excellent film!!
It has it all, one of the best car chases ever, action, adventure, humour, excellent characters and French actors! I've seen this film over and over, and think it's one of Besson's finest. The music is great too, as with all of Serra's stuff. Lambert is excellent, as are all of them really, brilliant casting.
Give it a go, and don't have any preconceptions...
The film left me cold. It went nowhere, there was little character or plot development. There was just no drive to the film, the plot wondered around just as fred did, from one inane episode to another.
The whole thing with him wanting to start a band came out of nowhere, and made little sense, am i meant to believe that whilst being chased by the police and gangsters, fred decides to take time out to start up a band? Am i meant to care about whether a bratty rich wife and an annoying petty theive get together?
I agree with the original poster. I like many of Besson's other films, but this felt like it should have been airing on Sunday afternoon on WGN or something. It was boring, cliche and cheesy. I didn't want more action, I wanted more character development. I wanted a plot that didn't seem like it was written by a 16 year old as part of a creative writing assignment. I'm not going to get wowed by the idea that the trophy wife falls for the criminal.
Jean-Hughes Anglade was really enjoyable, but everything seemed so flat and one-dimensional. The music was painfully bad at times. This movie just reeked of the 80's and in a horrible way. The movie wasn't bad, but it certainly doesn't deserve any praise.
its an art film
there is nothing rong with it
it is surreal, there is alot of hidden meaning it
wacthing about 3 or 4 time and u mite understand it
"Aside from it being an inexplicably 80's movie"
How can it be inexplicable that it is an 80s movie? It was made the mid 80s...
I don't think it's inexplicably 80s. It was made in 1985.
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