Sci-Fi Avec Garlic - A Gourmet Blockbuster

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2006)

French film auteur Luc Besson has written, directed and produced some classic films and "The Fifth Element" was his first stab at a big-budget Hollywood-style Sci-Fi blockbuster. Jaded American film critics gave the film a so-so reception on its release. This faint praise put moviegoers off and the film wasn't a huge commercial success.
Having said that, "The Fifth Element" has gone on to achieve the sort of cult status shared by "Blade Runner" and the "Terminator" movies. Despite a big American star in the lead role, this film is fundamentally Gallic and none the worse for it.
Luc Besson collaborated with top French comic book artists and even roped in Jean Paul Gaultier to design the fashions of the 23rd Century. The film was shot in Europe and a lot of well-known British and French actors can be seen in the cast. He even managed to coax a decent performance out of Bruce Willis!
But that's enough background. What's the movie actually like? Well, sort of like a celluloid comic book; bursting with inventive imagery, populated with larger-than-life characters and peppered with smart dialogue. The plot is pretty linear and predictable but Besson's sense of style and fun makes it entertaining. The movie is endlessly diverting, as a constant stream of bizarre characters and incredible visuals spool past your eyes at light-speed. "The Fifth Element" was made for the DVD format and it's worth pausing to view the detailed streetscapes of New York, or catch the antics of the extras in almost every crowd scene.
As I've already mentioned, Bruce Willis appears in this movie but don't let that put you off. Besson reins in Willis's usual "Look-at-meeeeeee" screen preening, but allows just enough of the actor's natural charisma to show through the character he plays. Willis is admirably matched by ever-reliable Gary Oldman as the arch-villain and Milla Jovovich is perfectly unworldly as the alien love-interest.
"The Fifth Element" may not have been a box-office smash but perhaps that's a good thing. We need directors with a unique vision to counter Hollywood's homogenised movie output. Even if he never makes another sci-fi movie, at least Luc Besson's talents haven't been diluted by the influence of the La-La Land bean counters.