Is the "eat the rich" subgenre on the wane, or are we becoming overly critical of it? 2019 was probably the year artists around the world stood up in unison against the economic divide through their work. From this emerged anti-classist stories like Parasite, Knives Out, Aadhaar, and many more. As we were going crazy during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeing how the rich used even a devastating situation like that to oppress people and widen the gap between the upper and lower classes, Squid Game arrived in 2021.
And, because of the show's popularity, it seemed like people would truly unite and reject this form of discrimination and inequality. But as soon as the public started dressing up as the characters, as streaming platforms and YouTubers staged real-life versions of Squid Game, I guess we started diluting the essence of "eat the rich." Thus, we find ourselves with incomplete content such as "The Love Scam," "Hisaab Barabar," "Delicious," "Locked," and today's topic: "Car Thieves."
Director: Kamel Guemra
Writers: Morade Aissaoui, Sledge Bidounga, Kamel Guemra
Stars: Zoé Marchal, Franck Gastambide, Bosh
"Car Thieves" by Kamel Guemra, written by Morade Aissaoui, Sledge Bidounga, and Guemra, tells the story of a group of four people who work at a luxury hotel. Nora is a valet, Steve is an assistant, Zoe is a receptionist, and Prestance is a waiter. During their workday, they are exceptional employees who serve guests and impress their bosses. But when they have lunch, they don't eat their food; they eat the rich. Since those who stay at this hotel are millionaires, they tend to carry money, jewelry, or other valuables with them at all times.
So, once the titular group has identified the easiest target, they specifically rob it on the highway (since it gives them plenty of time to escape before the police arrive) and then hand the cargo over to their trusted aide, Luis. And then they return before lunchtime, and no one suspects a thing. However, as the hotel has become the epicenter of these robberies, the manager, Catherine Lang, has had enough. So, she hires a mercenary, Elias, to eliminate the criminals and put an end to their mischief.
Overall, Carjackers is like a mix of Heat, Point Break, The Italian Job, Dhoom, and Den of Thieves. You have these Robin Hood-style thieves who rob the rich and fill their coffers because, well, they don't want to work in a hotel and risk their lives during lunchtime. Then there's Elias, who is determined to catch them because that's what he's paid to do. And I think there was something interesting to explore in the different perspectives of the thieves and Elias, because Nora and her crew believe they should "eat the rich," but Elias thinks they should work for them.
The writers could have extracted some relevant commentary about how the lower classes spend their time arguing about whether capitalism is good for society, while the capitalists continue to get richer and enjoy all kinds of immunity from crime. Instead, Aissaoui, Bidounga, and Guemra decided to dedicate a large portion of the film to one of the most boring cat-and-mouse chases of all time. Then they tried to twist the film into a revenge thriller. By the third act, the film devolved into a horror movie with a Halloween feel. By the end credits, I was wondering what this movie was supposed to be about.
I guess these are mild spoilers, but I should mention that Oumou, the hotel cleaner whom Nora tried to avenge, endangering her life and the lives of her friends, didn't get anything in the end. Sure, Oumou probably found out that the man who raped her was murdered. But Nora went out of her way to steal from that rapist and make him pay for his sins... and then what? Am I supposed to believe that Nora and her crew were punished because they used Oumou's suffering as an excuse to stage a heist and then didn't give her a cut of the loot so she could leave the hotel and live comfortably? No, I don't think so. I think Guemra watched the aforementioned and other heist movies and did her best not to make it seem like a trashy film.
However, when she realized she had nothing new to offer, she jumped from one genre to another and ended the whole thing haphazardly. Whatever the case, I think it's time for writers and directors to stop making "eat the rich" stories, because they're only exposing their inability to create narratives around the working class without demonizing them.
As for the action scenes in Carjackers, they're fine. It's clear that a lot of effort has gone into making the chase sequences and close-quarters combat moments look visceral and frenetic. The stunt team and actors deserve applause for giving it their all. It's just that Guemra's direction, Ludovic Zuili's photography, and Baxter and Camille Reysset's editing fail to make their work impactful. The cast deserved better, because all the actors are talented.
Bosh brilliantly and perfectly portrays Steve's stoic demeanor and underlying penchant for violence. Alassane Diong exudes a very calming aura in the role of Prestance. Mareva Ranarivelo, as Zoe, is adorable and quite dangerous. Serigne Gueye is effortlessly charming as Jalil, and the same can be said for his on-screen daughter, Zoe Diowo-Ceccaldi. Hafid F. Benamar, Colin Bates, Mylene Jampanoi, Florence Fauquet, and the rest of the supporting cast are excellent. Zoe Marchal is fantastic, especially in the film's final moments. She makes you feel the mix of despair, regret, and anger Nora feels about the choices she's made. And last but not least, Franck Gastambide is terrifying. He makes Elias seem like a man-eating shark recently turned human, with an insatiable hunger for blood.
Perhaps I'm being too harsh on Carjackers, and many will find it quite good. I mean, it has some good action scenes. The cast is a joy to behold, and they're talented too. The story has some substance. If you haven't seen a heist action movie, a revenge thriller, or a slasher, you might love how these subgenres have been fused. Having seen all of these elements in better films, I couldn't stomach this half-baked setup. I tolerated the first act, even though it felt too much like Dhoom.
I assumed there was something up its sleeve in the second act, only to find the film empty. In the third act, I lingered for a moment, hoping to witness something wild; however, it was too little, too late. Anyway, if you're interested in French films with high-octane vehicular mayhem, you should watch both Lost Bullet films, especially since a new installment is on the way. I've heard the Taxi film series is a lot of fun, so you might want to check that out. And, technically speaking, since the Transporter films, starring Jason Statham, are French productions, you can watch those too and have a great time.
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