On the Run is both a breath of fresh storytelling air and an exciting homage to film noir.
On the Run (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:29
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: Gripping, fast moving thriller. Best seen with the other parts of the trilogy.
Theatrical Release:Jan 30, 2004 Limited
Synopsis: A cinematic gamble without precedent, this ambitious project comprises three films, in three disparate genres, that provide not so much the same action from different perspectives, but rather,... A cinematic gamble without precedent, this ambitious project comprises three films, in three disparate genres, that provide not so much the same action from different perspectives, but rather, different pieces, consequences, and results of the combined actions of all the films. Structurally reminiscent in certain ways to Krzystzof Kieslowski's Three Colors Trilogy and Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, (its literary inspiration was Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet) it takes the idea of ever-expanding narrative webs to an exciting new level. The first film is a fast-paced thriller, the second a romantic comedy, and the third a melodrama; each of the feature length films can be seen alone, but each feature narrative gaps that can only be filled by viewing the other films. Seen together they're a remarkably cohesive and satisfying achievement that has the effect of creating a fourth film that exists only in the viewer's mind. Director Lucas Belvaux himself plays one of the lead roles, accompanied brilliantly by Dominique Blanc, Catherine Frot, Ornella Muti, Gilbert Melki, and François Morel ON THE RUN (CAVALE) - The first installment focuses its noir-thriller lens on Bruno, an extreme-left revolutionary who has escaped from prison and is looking to settle scores with old enemies. He must avoid capture by Pascal, a downtrodden cop looking to regain his credibility while simultaneously helping his addict wife Agnes score morphine. But Bruno finds Agnes first and trades her a fix for a hideout: her friend Cecile's apartment. -- © Magnolia Pictures [More]
Starring: Lucas Belvaux, Gilbert Melki, Ornella Muti, Francois Morel
Starring: Lucas Belvaux, Gilbert Melki, Ornella Muti, Francois Morel, Catherine Frot, Dominique Blanc
Director: Lucas Belvaux
Director: Lucas Belvaux
Screenwriter: Lucas Belvaux
Composer: Ricardo del Fra
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
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Reviews for On the Run
An unflinchingly intelligent probe into far-left monomania and the brutish power of ideology divorced from ordinary empathy.
On the Run has some moments of excitement and is certainly uncompromising.
On some levels, Belvaux's vision isn't far removed from average fare on network TV.
For such a meticulously carved puzzle that all but announces it has missing pieces, On the Run mostly succeeds as both an exercise and a stand-alone entertainment.
The first and third add up to something very poignant and satisfying.
To get the desired effect, you have to see all three films, none of which is much worth seeing by itself.
A run of the mill thriller which suffers from viewer ennui beget by its unsympathetic lead character
Suffused with a real sense of sadness of the lost ideals of a generation, the film transcends the banality of many lesser thrillers.
The first installment in Lucas Belvaux's ambitious Trilogy -- three films of different genres who's chronology and characters overlap -- is a slow, moody thriller.
Each film stands satisfyingly on its own as a genre piece, but the triplex provides added understanding of character and consequence.
While On the Run is entirely successful on its own terms, it also works as integral part of Belvaux's audacious experiment in form and style.
Movies, particularly post-Spielbergian Hollywood product, tend to steer your frame of reference with fascistic discipline. Here, delivered in a shiftable tripartite sequence, is a movie experience you can shape yourself.
As a genre exercise, it’s a ringing success, but the film lacks subtext.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 68% 68% | The Last Station | 12/23 |
| 68% 68% | Sherlock Holmes | 12/25 |
| 50% 50% | It's Complicated | 12/25 |
| 49% 49% | Nine | 12/25 |
| 18% 18% | Alvin and the Chipmunk… | 12/25 |
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