A flawed but fun film.

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2012)

The Fifth Element is a triumph of style. Everything looks and sounds fantastic, from the Jean Paul Gautier created outfits to the varied and interesting soundtrack. Luc Besson co-wrote and directed this French science fiction film that is so over the top, madly unhinged in places (a space-ball of pure evil phones a guy!) and infectious that I can't help but be carried along for the (occasionally) bumpy ride.
The overall style of the film flicks nicely between clean and technological spaces to piles of rubbish, tiny apartments and gritty, foggy parts of the world. The characters are pristine and beautiful, dressed in futuristic attire and haircuts, but get mucky and bloodied within seconds.
The same duality applies to the story , flicking madly between glorious action, absurd space opera and sappy love story often within the space of a scene.
To be honest, the story is not the film's strong point. I can admit that willingly. It's a simple 'Oh no! Earth is in peril, let us go on an adventure' type film. But the adventure is the film's strength and it plays to it with relish.
Bruce Willis gives one of his finer performances and Gary Oldman plays his baddie with a delicious sense of fun and pantomime. Milla Jovovich (in an early film performance) plays the 'perfect being' Leeloo with a surprisingly level of range and emotion. She also looks the part. Also looking like he's having all together a whole heap of fun is Ian Holm.
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