Is the “eat the rich” subgenre headed downhill, or are we, as viewers, becoming too critical of it? 2019 was probably the year when artists from all corners of the globe cried out in unison against the economic divide through their work. Hence, we got anti-classist stories like Parasite, Knives Out, Aadhaar, and more. While we were losing our minds during the COVID-19 pandemic and watching how the wealthy were using 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, due to the popularity of the show, it seemed like people would really get together and reject this form of discrimination and inequality. But as soon as the public started cosplaying as the characters, while streaming platforms and YouTubers organized real-life versions of the Squid Game, I guess we began diluting the essence of “eat the rich.” Hence, we are getting all this half-baked content like The Love Scam, Hisaab Barabar, Delicious, Locked, and the topic of today’s discussion, Carjackers.
Kamel Guemra’s Carjackers, written by Morade Aissaoui, Sledge Bidounga, and Guemra, tells the story of a group of four that works at a luxurious hotel. Nora is a valet, Steve is an attendant, Zoe is the receptionist, and Prestance is the bartender. During their working hours, they are amazing employees who tend to the guests and impress their bosses. But when they go on their lunch break, they don’t eat their food; they eat the rich. Since the people who stay at that hotel are uber-wealthy, they usually carry money, jewelry, or some other expensive items with them at all times. So, once the titular group is done singling out the easiest target, they rob them specifically on the highway (as it gives them ample time to escape before the cops show up) and then deliver the payload to their trusted aide, Luis. And then they return before their lunch breaks, and nobody suspects a thing. However, since the hotel has become the epicenter of these robberies, the manager, Catherine Lang, has had enough. Hence, she hires a mercenary, Elias, to weed out the criminals and put an end to their shenanigans.
For the most part, Carjackers is like a mishmash of Heat, Point Break, The Italian Job, Dhoom, and Den of Thieves. You have these Robin Hood-esque robbers who are stealing from the affluent and filling up their coffers because, well, they don’t want to work at a hotel and risk their necks during lunchtime all their lives. Then you have Elias, who is out to catch them because that’s what he has been paid to do. And I think there was something interesting to be explored in the differing outlooks of the robbers and Elias, because Nora and her team think that they should “eat the rich,” but Elias is of the opinion that they should work for them instead. The writers could’ve extracted some relevant commentary about how the lower classes are busy fighting over whether capitalism is good for society or not, while the capitalists continue to get richer and enjoy all kinds of immunity from crimes. Instead, Aissaoui, Bidounga, and Guemra chose to spend a major chunk of the film’s runtime on one of the most boring cat-and-mouse chases of all time. Then they tried to switch things up by making it a revenge thriller. When it entered the third act, the movie turned into a Halloween-esque slasher. By the time the credits rolled, I was wondering what this movie was even supposed to be about.
Mild spoilers, I guess, but I have to mention the fact that the cleaner at the hotel, Oumou, that Nora tried to avenge, thereby jeopardizing her own life as well as the lives of her friends, got nothing in the end. Sure, Oumou probably got to learn that the man who had raped her had been killed. But Nora went to great lengths to steal from that rapist and make him pay for his sins… and then what? Am I supposed to believe that the reason Nora and her crew got punished was because they used Oumou’s suffering as an excuse to do a heist and then didn’t give her a share of the loot so that she could leave that hotel and live comfortably? No, I don’t think that’s the case. I believe that Guemra saw the aforementioned films and some other heist movies and tried his best to not come off as derivative. However, when he realized that he had nothing new to offer, he jumped from one genre to another and then wrapped things up haphazardly. Whatever the case may be, I feel that it’s about time that writers and directors stop doing “eat the rich” stories, because they are only exposing their inability to craft narratives around the working class without demonizing them.
Coming to the action scenes in Carjackers, they are fine. Clearly, a lot of effort has been put into them to make the chase sequences and moments of hand-to-hand combat seem visceral and frenetic. The stunt team and the actors do deserve a round of applause for giving it their all. It’s just that Guemra’s direction, Ludovic Zuili’s cinematography, and the editing by Baxter and Camille Reysset fail to make any of their work seem impactful. The cast truly deserved better, because everyone in it is so talented. Bosh brilliantly and perfectly portrays Steve’s stoic demeanor and his underlying penchant for violence. Alassane Diong gives off such a 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 about his on-screen daughter, Zoe Diowo-Ceccaldi. Hafid F. Benamar, Colin Bates, Mylene Jampanoi, Florence Fauquet, and the rest of the supporting actors are excellent. Zoe Marchal is fantastic, especially towards the concluding moments of the movie. She makes you feel the blend of desperation, regret, and anger Nora is feeling for the choices that she has made. And, last but not least, Franck Gastambide is scary. He makes it seem like Elias is a man-eating shark who has just been turned into a human, and he has an insatiable craving for blood.
Maybe I am being too harsh on Carjackers, and many will find it to be a decent watch. I mean, it has some good action set pieces. The cast is a sight for sore eyes, and they are talented as well. The story has some semblance of substance. If you haven’t watched a heist actioner, a revenge thriller, or a slasher, it’s possible that you are going to love how these subgenres have been blended. Since I have seen all of these elements in better movies, I couldn’t bring myself to digest this undercooked preparation. I tolerated the 1st act even though it seemed too much like Dhoom. I assumed it had some tricks up its sleeves in the 2nd act, only to find out that the film’s proverbial pockets were empty. In the 3rd act, I briefly sat up at the possibility of witnessing something wild; however, it was too little, too late. Anyway, if you are interested in French films with some high-octane vehicular mayhem, you should give the two Lost Bullet movies a watch, especially since a new installment is on the way. I have heard that the Taxi film series is a fun time, so you can check that out. And, technically speaking, since the Jason Statham-led Transporter films are French productions, you can watch those as well and have a great time.
