Ronin
John Frankenheimer directed this $20 million international action thriller from a screenplay by Richard Weisz (pseudonym for David Mamet) and J.D. Zeik. In Paris, Irish organizer Deidre (Natascha McElhone) assembles a team to grab a mysterious briefcase from criminals. They are never told who hired them or the true identity of their targets. The hired specialists: Former CIA officer Sam (Robert De Niro), former Euro intelligence agent Vincent (Jean Reno), German electronics expert Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard), driver Larry (Skip Sudduth), and British weapons wrangler Spence (Sean Bean). After a Seine shootout, the action moves to the South of France, with a recon mission in Cannes, and a chase that brings everyone to Nice. Inevitable betrayals ensue, along with more pursuits.
Director: John Frankenheimer
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Sean Bean
Ronin represents an exhilarating return to form for Frankenheimer.
I enjoyed the film on two levels: for its skill and its silliness.
Frankenheimer doesn't recapture the magic he once created in movies like "The Manchurian Candidate," but he does cook up an effective thriller in the "French Connection" vein.
It's not just the crack stunt driving that makes Ronin such a welcome throwback; it's also the existential hardness of this thriller's motley band of mercenaries.
Frankenheimer pretty much ignores everything that's happened in the action and thriller genres since 1975, and mostly that's a good thing.
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1999)
Best Action Sequence
MTV Movie Awards (1999)
Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects & Foley
Motion Picture Sound Editors (1999)
Best Soundtrack
Young Hollywood Awards (1999)
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