Cash Truck (2004)

As Good As It Gets

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Very dark tale of revenge. and as said earlier, very little 'exposition' for the plot or the character himself is given, so not the most accessible to non-natives, as what little dialogue there is is essential to the story. All this lack of exposure to the real motives of the main character and the mystery surrounding him, and the subjective guess work required from the audience is also key to the movie. From my point of view, like say, No Country For Good Men, that is what make these movies that much more interesting.So, a re-visiting of Film Noir, extremely brutal emotionally, almost depressingly sordid. If you are looking for a feel-good ending, look away now. Noneless, I love this film for all those reasons. It's very well cast, acted and paced, Dupontel is excellent in this understated, almost shy character, but ruthlessly driven to revenge.<<<< SPOILER >>>>He and his son get shot on a deserted road, witnessing a robbery on a armored car, however, he alone survives, but is left crippled with intense epileptic fits (and the story hints that he hasn't got much time left). After the loss of their son in such a brutal way, his wife despairs into an almost catatonic state, while he leaves his past life behind to hunt down the murderers. Believing the robberies were inside jobs, he then enrolled in one of the targeted security firm on the verge of collapse, hoping to get close to the gang.

It is one of the rarest movies ever made about employees of armored cars companies. The director Nicolas Boukrief told, when his film was released, that it has never been made before. It's a lie when you know that the same Nicolas Boukrief was a journalist for the magazine Starfix in the 80's, and he commented himself "Money movers", released in Paris in 1986."Money movers" was a feature directed by Bruce Beresford, shot in 1979, and the context was the same, a thriller about armored car companies from the inside. But the Beresford's movie was not exactly the same story as the "Convoyeur", let's be fair. I do not say that Boukrief made a plagiary. But when he told every one that he was the first to shot a movie about money movers, he lies. No excuse for that. Threre is no harm to be influenced. The remake of "Criss cross", shot in 1995, - I don't remember the title, sorry - and directed by Steven Sonderbbergh was also about money movers, but not in the same way.Anyway, I love this picture. A pretty good one and violent too. But, in the real life, money movers are not all alcoholic, drug dealers or silly as they are shown in "Le Convoyeur". I know myself some Brink's employees. All of them did not appreciate this film for these reasons.

In France, the disturbed and mysterious Alexandre Demarre (Albert Dupontel) is hired as security guard for the Vigilante armored truck company earning 1,200 euros per month and lodges in a hotel nearby the company for 1,450 euros for a month. He becomes close to his colleagues, actually a group of losers, without motivation or perspective, paranoids, depressed and substances addicted men, and prepares a personal file with the profile of each one. Along the days, the real intentions of Alex in working at Vigilante are disclosed."Le Convoyeur" is a very dark tale of revenge exposed in low pace. Albert Dupontel brilliantly develops his weird character, and the viewer guesses whether he is a journalist, a writer, an uncover detective of a thief planning a next robbery based on the financial balance between his salary and the cost of his hotel in the beginning of the story. I regret only that his motives are disclosed very soon, practically in the middle of the story. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Assalto ao Carro Forte" ("Heist to the Armored Truck")

Le Convoyeur (Cash truck) is one of those "minimalist French thriller" that will keep you in the edge of the seat for the entire movie. What the movie lacks in budget terms is compensated with the superb (and intense) acting for its main characters, especially Albert Dupontel (IRREVERSIBLE), a character you will not forget very soon.Alexander, a really strange and disturbed man, starts working as a security guard for an armored trunk company. The universe surrounding him is truly unbelievable; just because is real.We meet a bunch of lazy losers, which could be categorized as drug addicts, drunks, depressed, inept or nuts, and Alexander fits in all of them. To make matters more interesting; all of them are carrying guns with minimum training (one shoot a month) and earn a thousand Euros (about $ 1300) a month for transporting millions in cash.It is easy to predict that under these circumstances, things could go REALLY WRONG.After a while, we also realize that Alexander has his own agenda. He inquires about routes and events randomly. He even searches his co-workers lockers.Without giving out more, lets say that Nicolas Boukhrief (the director) constructs an environment very unreliable in itself and adds another explosive element to the cocktail.The big difference with any American thriller is that characters and drama are more important than action and violence. When the violence arrives, it shocks us without using spectacular special effects or big budget explosions.In brief, do not get fooled by the lack of big American actors or just because it is a French movie. This is probably the most terrifying movie of the year; and does not have ghosts, zombies or serial killers.