Christopher Lambert Movie:

Editorial Review:
This dark and highly stylized French import directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, The Professional) concerns an enigmatic safecracker played by Christopher Lambert (Highlander) hiding out in the Paris Metro system from a gangster. While living in the underground and eluding both gangsters and Metro police he meets up with a group of colorful and quirky subterranean inhabitants eager to help him and start a rock band. All the while the safecracker blackmails a rich woman (Isabelle Adjani) with whom he is in love. Meant to be a tongue-in-cheek commentary on urban life, the film works better as a light freewheeling entertainment, with well-constructed fast-paced action sequences and a breezy sense of humor about itself. Subway is an intriguing diversion and a chance to see the cutting edge of modern French moviemaking. --Robert Lane

Subway [Region 2] Reviews:
Take a subway or any other transportation AWAY from this flick.
2009-04-12 - Because I really enjoyed "The Professional," (It's got some violence so if you can stomach it, SEE THIS great set of performances/action) by Luc Besson, I thought I'd like all his work.

WRONG!

If you're young and think you'll live forever, go ahead and waste another hour or so of your life with "Subway." No real plot. No character you care about. A nightmare of almost absolutely nothing interesting happening.

I can't write more. I'm getting upset again thinking about it.

Besson does have a more interesting/not great film called, "Angela O."

Some also liked a futuristic, sci-fi of his starring Bruce Willis (can't remember the title....... it's late......... but I wasn't crazy about it.

Luc! Get it together man!

Avant-Garde and Stylistic
2006-04-03 - This French film was the directorial debut for a then 26-year-old Luc Besson. Christopher Lambert and Isabelle Adjani are a surprise great match. It's both a romantic comedy and social satire over a group of vagabonds who live underground in the Paris metro system. There is more than one story with Adjani and Lambert tying in the characters. It is not clear what the "papers" are that Lambert has stolen from Adjani, which hints that its a ploy on both ends to spend time together.

style, style, and more style
2006-03-22 - I was lucky enough to see this film theatrically when it came out in 1985. It definitely loses it's artistic impact on the small screen, but it's something that constantly keeps your eyes engaged. Almost every promo shot for this film had Christopher Lambert holding that portable light fixture -- in fact the theatre I went to see it at ran an ad along the lines of "Christopher Lambert is a light sabre-toting cat burgler". In actuality, he has it in his hand for about thirty seconds, before he lets it slip as he loses his footing on a catwalk. Shades of the BLADE RUNNER promo sheet of Harrison Ford running across the top of a car. Was that shot even in the film? Still, that image of Lambert (like the rest of the film's visual palette) is pretty cool. Stay away from the cheaper copies -- the quality is worse then a VHS dub. The Bassist (also doing double duty as film composer) is Eric Serra, who recently composed the score for BULLETPROOF MONK. Lots to look at, and some great music to boot. Well worth the purchase.

Interesting.
2006-03-09 - SUBWAY is a very interesting movie. It's more of a movie that is focused on the characters, rather than the plot itself. Definitely buy the enhanced version (the one with Lambert holding the neon light). The dubs aren't that great, but at least Lambert dubbed himself. I suggest watching it with the subtitles first. Being a Lambert fan, I figured I'd check out the film in which he one best actor in France's Caesar Awards. It's a very interesting movie, I more appreciated it, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Worth the buy if you're a Lambert or Besson fan.

I <3 the 80s
2005-10-24 - As a gift to myself I purchased the Luc Besson Collection. Two-thirds of the movies I was familiar with. This was one I was not. But what have I got to lose? I mean, let's evaluate what it had going for it before even watching it, alright? It was a Luc Besson film, ok, points earned there. Jean Reno (from Leon, the Professional) was in it, obvious trademark, but something I always enjoy. And hey, look at this, Christopher Lambert (from Highlander) was in it, kudos!

Quickly, in order to become genuinely immersed in this film, I'd like you to consider two methods of watching it. I recommend watching it in French with the English subtitles. I think you get a much better feel for the personality of the film this way. Watching it English dubbed (with English subtitles) you find that some of the language is not translated correctly. For example, Fred speaks about being a six year old in a car accident, but the English subtitles say five. Sure, it is only a small difference, but it is not the only one - in this sense, the movie is consistently inconsistent. Watch it in French, it's much better that way.

I think movies which spotlight small and strange sub-sub-cultures are utterly fascinating to me. Here we are thrown into an underground life, where strangers protect and help one another in a moment, knowing that one always needs allies in a world always out to get you.

While I can see how some might be shocked and confused by the events and the relationships between the characters - I think it is all true-to-life - in the sense that people are unpredictable, with history and complexities that can not be fully addressed or understood in the hour-and-a-half given, nor should they be.

So I enjoyed this European story telling, even if it was trapped by the 80s influence of bad clothing and hair style choices. It adds to the quirky charm.