French directorLuc Bessonis a master of the absurd. He seemingly takes on any idea: his movies lean toward sci-fi, fantasy, and action, but he’s also dabbled in biopics, noir, and psychological thrillers, andhis next movieis set to be the Gothic horrorDracula: A Love Tale. Speaking about his eclectic filmography,Besson has said, “I don’t function in relation to genre. I’m more about emotional impulses of situations and characters.”
While Besson’s movies may vary in subject matter, they are almost always wild.At their best, they combine the frenetic energy of ’80s Hong Kong action cinema with gorgeous visuals and rich characterization.The Fifth ElementandLa Femme Nikitaare the best examples of this. That said, perhaps because he’s so creative, Besson is also very hit-or-miss: for everyLéon: The Professional, there’s anArthur and the Invisibles. At the very least,he can usually be counted on to come up with a concept that gets people talking.Here are the French auteur’s movies ranked by their absurdity.
18’The Big Blue' (1988)
Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Shenar
“The hardest thing is when you’re at the bottom.“The Big Blueis Besson’s heavily fictionalized account of the lifelong rivalry between pioneering free driversJacques Mayol(Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo Molinari (Jean Reno). The film was a massive hit in France, becoming a cult movie and significantly boosting Besson’s profile. It certainly deserves praise for the beautiful cinematography and the committed lead performances, but the story drags in the second half, meaning that it might only appeal to those who already have an interest in the subject matter.
It’s also notable for being the director’s most restrained project, striving to hold the viewer’s attention through breathtaking underwater sequences and poignant character moments rather than wild plot developments or over-the-top effects. There are some wacky scenes, usually featuring dolphins, but they are hallucinations rather than reality. The most absurd part is the liberties it takes with the facts, especially concerning the death of one of the major characters.
Buy on Amazon
17’Subway' (1985)
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Christopher Lambert, Richard Bohringer, Michel Galabru
“Your Cinderella’s got a pistol this big in her bag.” This stylish thriller centers on Fred (Christopher Lambert), a thief who becomes embroiled in a web of chaos after stealing some crucial documents from a crime boss. Forced to seek refuge in the labyrinthine Paris Metro, Fred starts blackmailing the gang lord’s wife Héléna (Isabelle Adjani) - and develops inconvenient feelings for her.
Subwayis generally considered to be part of theCinéma du look. This was a French film movement that kicked off in the ’80s and openly placed style over substance.The focus was on slick visuals and attractive young characters, alongside an irreverent melding of ‘high’ culture and pop culture, evident here withSubway’s many references toBatman. While this means thatSubwayboasts some stunning images and moody scenes, it’s also inconsistent, and the characters are not developed enough to carry the story the whole way through.
Watch on Tubi
16’The Lady' (2011)
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett, Jonathan Woodhouse
“You’d better be prepared for complete chaos.“The Ladyis a biopic ofAung San Suu Kyi(Michelle Yeoh), the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former political leader of Myanmar. It charts her entire life up til the 1990s, from her childhood to her years in England with her husband Michael Aris (David Thewlis), her decade under house arrest, and the early fruits of her activism. In other words, this is a real-life drama lacking Besson’s characteristic craziness and instead dealing with sentimentality.
However, in the years since, the film has taken on a different tone.This is because, while the movie portrays Suu Kyi as a one-dimensional hero, the last decade has revealed her to be a much more complex and controversial figure. Chiefly, Suu Kyi has been criticized fordefending the Myanmar government’s brutal crackdownon its Rohingya minority. So it could be argued that Besson’s film is a little absurd in the sense that it actually understands little about its central figure.
Watch on Kanopy
15’Léon: The Professional' (1994)
Starring: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello
“Is life always this hard, or is it just when you’re a kid?” Jean Reno leadsthis cult classicas the titular solitary assassin living a meticulously ordered life in New York City. His world is thrown into upheaval when 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) shows up at his door seeking shelter after her family is murdered. Leon reluctantly becomes her mentor in the art of killing as she seeks revenge.
The premise itself is a little far-fetched, but the characters are well-developed and believable.They seem like real people rather than cartoons. Even the menacing, drug-addicted antagonist Stansfield (Gary Oldman) is layered and understandable. All three performers turn in winning work; Reno is cool and understated, Portman demonstrates talents beyond her years, and Oldman delivers one of the best villain performances of the 1990s. The end result is a charmingly dichotomous movie that contrasts moving, character-driven scenes between the leads with intense action sequences.
Léon: The Professional
Watch on Netflix
14’The Family' (2013)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, John D’Leo
“Al Caponealways said, asking polite with a gun in your hand is always better than just asking polite.“The Familyfollows the Manzonis, a notorious Mafia clan relocated to a quiet town in Normandy under the Witness Protection Program. There, the mobsters struggle to adapt to their new suburban surroundings while trying to keep their violent past a secret. Old habits die hard, and soon enough, there’s chaos.
Besson plays the whole as a black comedy, yielding great moments like the awkwardness caused by an accidental screening ofGoodfellas. Indeed,The Familyhad a lot of potential, given the killer premise and the star power of leadsRobert De NiroandMichelle Pfeiffer.Unfortunately, the movie underutilizes them, and it fails to build on its solid beginning.The script glosses over these intriguing characters rather than delving into them. A sense of fun compensates for many shortcomings, but still,The Familycan’t help but be disappointing.
The Family
Watch on Max
13’Anna' (2019)
Starring: Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy
“There is only one way to leave the KGB. Do you want to know what it is?” The mysterious Anna (Sasha Luss) is recruited by a ruthless KGB officer (Luke Evans), and trained to become a weapon in the service of the Russian government. However, as Anna rises through the ranks and gains notoriety for her skills, she becomes entangled in a web of intrigue and betrayal involving rival intelligence agencies and powerful players in the criminal underworld.
Annaboasts tautly choreographed fight sequences and a typically great supporting performance fromHelen Mirren, butthe plot is littered with action cliches. This kind of story has been told a thousand times before, including by Besson in superior films. While the plot isn’t utterly nonsensical, it’s certainly over-the-top and unrealistic. It would have been more compelling had it looked at the geopolitical realities of early ’90s Russia but, instead, it conjures up a fantasy. In short,Annais like a dime storeLa Femme Nikita.
12’La Femme Nikita' (1990)
Starring: Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tchéky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau
“I work, let’s say, for the government. We’ve decided to give you another chance.” After a botched robbery ends in violence, drug-addicted delinquent Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is given a choice: train to become a covert operative for a secret government agency or face execution. So begins her grueling transformation under the tutelage of the enigmatic Bob (Tchéky Karyo) and her new life as a femme fatale.
This film might hit the sweet spot when it comes to Besson’s absurdity.WhereAnnais stale,La Femme Nikitapulses with energyyet isn’t completely ridiculous. Parillaud is down for anything and the movie hands her one exquisite set piece after another, including the famous kitchen shootout. She feels like a proto-Uma ThurmanfromKill Bill. Indeed,Quentin Tarantinois a fan of the movie,saying, “From the first frame, I f—ing loved it.” Some have wondered whether the Wolf (Harvey Keitel) inPulp Fictionwas also inspired by Jean Reno’s “Cleaner” character in Besson’s film.
La Femme Nikita
11’The Last Battle' (1983)
Starring: Pierre Jolivet, Maurice Lamy, Jean Reno, Fritz Wepper
“Bon…jour.” Besson’s feature debut was this black-and-white post-apocalyptic film, whichhe has describedas an “imaginary excursion”. A protagonist known only as The Man (Pierre Jolivet) ekes out an existence in a blasted wasteland, scavenging for parts. Food is scarce and danger stalks the landscape, including the homicidal Brute (Reno, in his first major role).
From here, the movie continues to get weirder, including sex dolls, a homemade aircraft, fish falling from the sky, and only two words of dialogue.It’s essentially Besson’s critique of environmental degradation, an idea he would explore on a much larger canvas withThe Fifth Element. The film also paints a bleak picture of capitalism, with exploitative characters standing in for predatory corporations. On the visual side,The Last Battlecrafts an impressive and intriguing dystopian world despite its meager budget. The shots are often beautiful in a melancholy way, especially images of rusting cars and household appliances; relics from our forgotten age.
10’The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)'
Starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman
“I am the drum on which God is beating out His messages. And right now He is beating so hard, it’s splinting my ears!” After the success ofThe Fifth Element, Besson pivoted from sci-fi to historical revisionism.The Messenger: The Story of Joan of ArcstarsMilla Jovovichas the French peasant who became a symbol of resistance during the Hundred Years' War before being burned at the stake.
However, rather than sticking to the facts of her life, Besson takes liberties to emphasize what he considers to be the central emotions of her story. The result is a decidedly mixed bag. Some of the invented scenes work, like the murder ofJoan’s sister, as does Besson’s ambiguous depiction of Joan’s sanity. However, Jovovich’s performance simply falls short of the iconic character. Plus,having such an American Joan of Arc is inherently a little absurd. While the battle scenes were pretty good for 1999,The Messengeroffers little reason to revisit it now.
Rent on Amazon
9’Arthur and the Invisibles' (2006)
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Ron Crawford, Adam LeFevre
“If I should fail then I shall breathe all my powers to you.“Arthur and the Invisiblesis the first entry in the film series Besson directed from his own children’s novels. The young Arthur (Freddie Highmore) discoversa hidden world of tiny creaturescalled Minimoys, who live in harmony with nature and possess magical powers. With the help of Princess Selenia (Madonna) and her brother Betameche (Jimmy Fallon), he sets out to find the treasure of the Minimoys and thwart the nefarious Maltazard (David Bowie).
Despite the star-studded cast (Mia Farrow,Snoop Dogg, andRobert De Niroalso appear),the movie feels like a half-baked direct-to-DVD production. The animation is derivative and uninspired, the dialogue awkward and wooden. It certainly scores high on the absurdity level, coming across like a crazed mishmash ofThe Sword in the Stone,The Ant Bully, andThe Dark Crystal, but the quality control is sorely lacking.
