Breathless (1983)

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Jim McBride's remake of 'A Bout De Soufflé' comes a young, handsome Richard Gere who is a wonderer of the streets. When Gere gets in the papers, he becomes noticed by everyone, he has to quickly leave town as soon as he can without anyone notices before the police come and take him away, on the way, he falls in love with a young, beautiful school pupil. Gere's performance was brilliant as usual, I didn't really used to care for Gere's performances, like 'Pretty Woman' but in this it shows that he is a very willing and committed Actor and he can take on any role that comes his way. The film has songs by Jerry Lee Lewis throughout it, and one in particular that leaves the film on a high.... Breathless.

An American car thief tries to convince a French college student to accompany him across the border into Mexico in this US remake of Jean-Luc Godard's 'À Bout de Soufflé'. Better than the average remake out there, 'Breathless' certainly tries to do something different with the material. The setting and the nationalities of the two protagonists have been reversed; writer-director Jim McBride also drops much of Godard's original philosophical dialogue (give or take a comment about women's toes and seeing what lies beneath someone's face) in favour of comic book hero philosophising. The freeze frame ending here also makes for a solid changed ending. And yet, despite Richard Gere's constant singing of Jerry Lee Lewis tunes, his obsession with checkered pants and love of comic books, there is a less a sense of Gere living an elaborate fantasy existence by comparison to Belmondo in the original film. The 1983 'Breathless' is a little too grounded in grit and realism (take for instance a fight scene at a mechanic's scrap yard) despite all the bright coloured lighting early on promising something less down-to-earth. The performances are not as strong in the remake either, however, the film offers a more solid foundation for the big decision that the female protagonist makes towards the end. Truth be told, the film is arguably better paced than the Godard venture too with more sense of urgency and imminent danger if Gere does not get out of town, but whether this is a superior rendition overall (as some out there claim), that is a much harder case to argue.

The concept behind both Jim McBride movies, this and "The Big Easy" are to take a routine-at-best story and include one good sex scene. But, that's it! And, it's an amazingly unnecessary remake of Goddard's original.*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***The story is completely pointless, because you know exactly what's going to happen. Right at the beginning, Richard Gere kills a police officer. Gere's character is amazingly stupid throughout the whole film. So, we know he's going to get caught or killed at the end.His "getaway" attempt isn't even a getaway attempt! After killing the officer outside of Vegas, he goes to Los Angeles. Everyone knows that's where he's headed since that direction is where the shooting happened. But, he goes anyway so he can meet his girl. Smart! And then, he stays there for the rest of the film, basically waiting for the police to get him.Man, he's an idiot! And, he's completely shiftless, just bumming around the whole time. So, there's nothing remotely likable or relatable about him. And the girlfriend is one-dimensional, so who cares! Other bad features include a hilariously bad rear-projection screen trying to mimic the road going by. It's at least as bad as the similar sequence from "Airplane!"**** (4 Out of 10 Stars)

At the time "Breathless" was released in 1983, a critic claimed that Richard Gere's deliberate overacting supported the stylised fantasy elements of the movie. Really? I suspect that he was simply surprised by the self-indulgence of the performance, especially when compared with films such as "Days of Heaven", "An Officer and a Gentleman" and even "American Gigolo" – all made before "Breathless"."Breathless" was a remake of Jean Luc Godard's "A Bout De Soufflé" The success of that movie had a lot to do with timing, and forces that were working through society at the beginning of the 1960's. Godard's movie launched French Cinema's influential new wave, which also had an impact on Hollywood.The remake came 20 years later, and unlike Godard's version was no longer timely nor an antidote to the predictability of contemporary film.Richard Gere's character, Jesse Lujack, a petty hustler and car thief, accidentally kills a policeman and goes on the run with his French girlfriend Monica, played by Valérie Kaprisky. Unaware of Jesse's criminal activity, she is attracted to his wildness and the aura of danger he projects.Jesse Lujack as rendered by Gere is arrogant, self-centred, stupid and narcissistic; he has few redeeming traits. Whether it's gyrating to Jerry Lee Lewis while he drives yet another hot-wired automobile or practicing his quick draw with the remote while changing TV channels, extra bits of business are thrown into just about every scene.Although the film has strong production values, there are lapses in logic that are so silly they would probably get laughs if they had been in "The Naked Gun". Near the end, Jesse runs through the streets with his shirt unbuttoned to the navel, clearly revealing the distinctive tattoo on his breast that is the key feature of the police description that has just been broadcast. His checked pants don't help him melt into the crowd all that well either.In "White Heat", James Cagney created a memorable finale, surrounded by police on top of a burning fuel tank. In "Breathless", Richard Gere goes him one better when he disco dances – in those checked pants no less – as police close in from all sides. It is so over-the-top that it almost defies description.Valérie Kaprisky had to work hard to be noticed in this movie. That she does is because of the contrast between her low-key delivery and Gere's attention seeking hyperactivity.It appears that Richard Gere's performance in "Breathless" was a one off. From then on, if there was a trait that typified a Richard Gere performance, surely it was restraint. Look at him in films as diverse as, "Pretty Woman", "Internal Affairs", and "Shall We Dance?" Not only is he controlled but he also underplays to great effect. Maybe with "Breathless" he just needed to get something out of his system.