AKA (2023)

First-rate actioner a la Français, with Alban Lenoir, a leading man with the physical chops to sell the mayhem, the literary chops to co-write the script and the acting chops to walk us thru modern twists reminiscent of classic ‘70s-style paranoid thrillers lurking around every corner.*  Morgan S. Dalibert, Lenoir‘s writing partner, stepping up from cinematographer to direct, can’t always keep the moves and countermoves straight, but the main story comes thru so the big set pieces are readable, even believable, with contact violence generating plenty of gunplay, fury & bloodshed alongside some witty ‘noises off’ staging techniques at critical moments.  (Somewhere, Blake Edwards is smiling.)  The plot gets rolling with the usual Mid-East backed terrorist attack (though this may not be quite what it seems), before special agent Lenoir is assigned to go undercover as bodyguard/henchman to an organized crime syndicate who may be somehow involved.  He finds little peace there, what with rival gangs fighting over pole dancers at the strip club, and bags of loot stolen from the latest bank robbery.  Lots of info for Lenoir to leak or ‘tap’ to his superiors.  But there’s a catch to his success, he’s fallen for a family member.  Not, as you might expect, for the unhappy wife or the rebellious teenage daughter.  Nope, he’s made an instant pal of the young son, an attention deprived, undersized 10-yr-old whose mother has no time for him and a father who knows this kid ain’t his.   So, when that rival gang kidnaps the boy, Lenoir goes rogue on his own secret assignment, discovering some truths about the mob, his government bosses as well as the terrorists.  Standout perfs all ‘round, with fast moving shootouts and hand-to-hand combat that makes more sense (and uses less CGI) than you often get in these things.  Good stuff in here, especially M. Lenoir who has the bod to make you believe he could pull it off even if cameras weren't rolling.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  In the biz for two decades, now 43, Lenoir won a Lumiere award as Most Promising New Actor as recently as 2016.  Seen Stateside in supporting roles (TAKEN /’08), he’s like the missing link between Chris Pratt & Matt Damon.  Have his other starring films been released over here?

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  *In the ‘70s, producer/directors like Sydney Pollack & Alan J. Pakula were masters at keeping these conspiracy complications straight in their paranoid thrillers.  Not because they had the natural visual flair to pull it off, but because they didn’t.   Laying it all out piece-by-piece to not leave anyone (including themselves) behind; paradoxically facilitated by their lack of facility.

DOUBLE-BILL:  Luc Besson’s classic THE PROFESSIONAL/’94 a likely influence.