Fast Convoy is French action thriller about a “go fast” convoy shipping a ton of cannabis Malaga in southern Spain that is disrupted following a shootout that results in the kidnapping of a tourist.
Fast Convoy (French: Le convoi) is a French action thriller that takes us on a road trip along side a 4 car convoy containing 7 men as they traverse from Spain to France in hopes of delivering the drugs to the Mahmoudis. With an array of different characters and a situation that quickly takes a turn for the worse after a well-executed set up, this thriller keeps its intensity for the majority of the ride, however its ending does leave a little to be desired alongside a somewhat convoluted plot.
Fast Convoy excels in several aspects. Its score is incredibly suitable for the thriller. Used in various parts, it gives a combined feeling of a James Bond film and a mix of Speed, creating a sense of adventure simply with the music itself. Paired up with the hues used for their cinematography and the winding roads and locations, it is beautifully mesmerizing to be on this dangerous road trip even if it focuses more on the convoy. The cars are also very impressive, which gives the chase scenes a lot of presence as these characters speed down the highway.
This thriller is best looked at in three parts. First, it gives the us an idea of the men involved, including the business over three cars cleverly switched between with their phone calls, each highlighting not only their conflict but their personality. This often results in petty conversations, giving comedic relief to help cut the intensity that slowly builds not only between its characters but the situation. This leads to the second part where the bulk of the thriller is felt with the action and thrills truly taking place between the cars as they aim to resolve the problem and get everyone – and of course their expensive cargo – to their destination and the team starts having their split views and worries about what is going to happen. Finally, the third part unfolds and pieces together the plot the whole time with an intense final escape. The structure here works very well, in fact building this intrigue is what Fast Convoy does very well. The plot progresses at a decent pace, however where it falls flat is how it chooses to wrap it up, rendering the film slightly convoluted.
The strength of the film lies heavily on the characters of the seven men in the convoy. The cast here does an outstanding job in portraying the colors of the characters as each of their personalities vary and the pairings in these cars work to not only add some humor but through their conversations endear the audience to them. Some may appeal more than others but that is how it should be so that when the finale rolls in, there is someone that the audience is rooting for. While only playing the mysterious backup man Alex, Benoit Magimel is absolutely the standout role here with possibly the most experience in this cast as well. He brings the style and the action despite not having a lot of dialogue but still showing how clever he is. In the other cars, the leader Imad (Tewfik Jallab) is paired up with a clueless driver Reda (Sofian Khammes), who dives into the somewhat sillier questions, for example engaging in a discussion about why there are grenades in their trunk and not in the front to help surprise attack anyone if needed which turns into a memorable hilarious moment. On the other hand, the other car carries two men who engage in plenty of banter. Yacine (Amir El Kacem) and Remi (Leon Garel) both are charming to watch as they seem in the most casual situation but also the most opposite in personality as their petty chat makes it feel unnecessary. While the film focuses on these seven men, they also add in an extra piece to the equation, which seems a little unnecessary as the film progresses. It has the right intention but not the perfect execution as they focus on talking about kidnapping a woman, Nadia (Reem Kherici) who does next to nothing in the film of significance, making her role rather pointless with maybe the exception of a few minor parts.
Overall, Fast Convoy does a great job at executing an intense and gripping story that starts off with a great set-up and ramps up the pace as it goes along complimented by a great score to build the mood. The cast does an outstanding job of portraying its characters which each have their unique personalities to make this convoy feel complete, especially Benoit Magimel, who delivers through and through. It uses casual conversation to build these characters cleverly but also not waiting too long to keep the action and thrills rolling in fast. Its main downfall is its lacklustre ending. However, Fast Convoy does offer up a great time with style and fast-paced action and for that, it is well worth a watch.
Opening on VOD in US & CANADA Nationwide on Tuesday, December 5 on all major platforms including iTunes, Sony, Google Play, Amazon, Microsoft, Vudu, Comcast, Charter, Cox, Vimeo, and various other cable operators.