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Title: Ronin (1998)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Robert De Niro | ... | Sam | |
| Jean Reno | ... | Vincent | |
| Natascha McElhone | ... | Deirdre | |
| Stellan Skarsgård | ... | Gregor | |
| Sean Bean | ... | Spence | |
| Skipp Sudduth | ... | Larry | |
| Michael Lonsdale | ... | Jean-Pierre | |
| Jan Tríska | ... | Dapper Gent | |
| Jonathan Pryce | ... | Seamus O'Rourke | |
| Ron Perkins | ... | Man with the Newspaper | |
| Féodor Atkine | ... | Mikhi | |
| Katarina Witt | ... | Natacha Kirilova | |
 |
Bernard Bloch | ... | Sergi |
|
|
Dominic Gugliametti | ... | Clown Ice Skater |
|
|
Alan Beckworth | ... | Clown Ice Skater |
Ronin is the Japanese word used for Samurai without a master. In this case, the Ronin are outcast specialists of every kind, whose services are available to everyone - for money. Dierdre (undoubtedly from Ireland) hires several Ronin to form a team in order to retrieve an important suitcase from a man who is about to sell it to the Russians. After the mission has been completed successfully, the suitcase immediately gets switched by a member of the team who seems to work into his own pocket. The complex net of everyone tricking everyone begins to surface slowly, and deadly... Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>
....from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L. A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA...and ORLANDO, FL
"An Anti-Action, anti-formula movie" was my initial choice for a tag line for this review...but I wanted something more enticing! If you've gotten this far, you're probably looking for a little clarification. Here it is: It is indeed rare to encounter a truly original element in any movie. Much rarer still, is to have such originality overlooked completely by the viewing public. When this occurs, it really upsets me.
RONIN offers us just such an unheralded moment of cinematic history! Initially curious to see what percent of reviewers had commented on the totally unique and unprecedented selection of a female driver, in what is, undoubtedly,the most REALISTIC cinema chase sequence of the past 20 years, systematically, I began scouring the reviews. What I discovered has not ceased to amaze me! I would like to share the results with you, and let you measure your own reaction.
Out of the 212 reviews that were posted at the time, I carefully went over 70 of them! Only ONE reviewer used a name clearly belonging to woman. Unfortunately, she restricted herself to only 15 or 20 words, so she really didn't end up saying much of anything! (Of course, there were perhaps 7 or 8 anonymous reviews.) Of the 70 reviews, 50, or more, made reference to the chase scene. (Between 80 and 90 percent of those comments were basically positive.)
Although Robert De Niro and Jean Reno were the only two actors in the film who definitely had more on-screen time than Natascha McElhone, (Dierdre, the chase car driver from HELL!) around 20 reviewers commented on other actors, whose on-screen time wasn't half that of hers. Only 6 or 7 chose to mention her at all! Probably, more reviewers sited Katarina Witt's 3 or 4 minute cameo spot! (Of course, she was much more scantily clad than Ms. McElhone!)
Finally, out of 50, or so, who did talk about the chase scenes, ONLY ONE linked McElhone to them directly! Amazingly, paraphrasing here the reviewer's words, "The car chase scenes are very authentic. (Except that Natascha McElhone looks like she has never driven fast in her life!)" Well, all I can say is, after having screened the scene at least a dozen times, it seems to me that this reviewer was watching a different RONIN!
Some might argue that THELMA & LOUISE had car chases. These were all together different, because the movie revolved entirely around its title characters. In RONIN, nobody seems to make a big deal out of the fact, and it is actually Dierdre's boss who pointedly barks at her, "YOU DRIVE!" Is there a lesson to be learned here? Apparently, all this tends to bear out the title of this review..."Clothed women in Action films are invisible to male viewers!"
Sad, because RONIN has a lot more to offer than just the chase scenes. It pays yet another subtle tribute to the prowess of women, when an ex-East German operative (Stellan Skarsgaerd) says, "I've hired the very best sniper assassin...SHE never misses!" More than anything else, RONIN provides an utterly believable inside- track on the post-Cold War mercenary and the shadowy, detached world he inhabits, reminiscent of the insider's glimpse of real-world spies offered in the classic, The SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. If it's John Woo style Action films that make your day...You'll probably find RONIN much too realistic, too cerebral, too noir and too explosion-less for your tastes!
On the other hand, if you like your Action movies well grounded in reality, RONIN is a near classic, anti-action, anti-formula film, with a most refreshing European aftertaste, that you will find quite engrossing and enjoyable!
9 STARS.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!