Analysing a film of choice. Taken.

Taken is a 2008 french action/thriller staring Liam Neeson, written by Luc Besson and directed by Pierre Morel. It is important to note that Luc Besson and Pierre Morel have both predominately worked in action and thriller genres. Luc Besson previously working as both writer and producer on The Transporter Franchise as well as the film adaptation of computer game Hitman. Whilst Pierre Morel has worked on french action films District 13.

"Liam Neeson, stars as Bryan, a man with a hidden past (ex-spy) whose 17 year daughter Grace goes on vacation with her friend Amanda, to visit Amanda’s cousin in Paris. Shortly after she arrives there, she and Amanda are kidnapped by slave masters. Neeson hears the kidnapping whilst he’s on the telephone to her and begins to talk her through it until she’s snatched. He tells the kidnappers that he has a particular set of skills that will prove to be a nightmare for the abductors and that he will hunt them down by whatever means possible and kill them."

The basic plot of Taken is simple and appeals to it's main demographic that of males aged 16-34 with it's use of stunts and highly choreographed action sequences. Whilst also appealing to a more high brow cinema goer as it's use of language and story. It also uses clever plot ideas in solving the puzzles that lead him to his daughter.
There is a scene in particular that I thought used shots, music, location and atmosphere effectively. This is the kidnapping scene, which you can see in a edited version below. The scene uses p.o.v shots to put us in the place of the daughter played by Maggie Grace and the MCU's of Liam Neeson with the grainy speaker on his phone playing out his daughters dialogue add to the mis en scene making us feel very much more like that we are there with the character. Additionally the music both diegetic and non diegetic add to the atmosphere. Starting off with music playing loudly from the speakers to capture the care free nature of the two teenagers and allowing the kidnappers to sneak in successfully. The music then cuts off so all we hear is the dialogue and eventually we have silence before his daughters deafening scream is heard and we as an audience are shocked.

Of course this is not the whole of the film, the film does have it's flaws, such as Liam Neeson's character being able to do literally what ever he wants in front of who ever he wants and the fact he hands his daughter back over her mother as soon as they return back to the US. Also his daughters lacks any sign of distress for the events that have occurred or grief over the death of her friend. What the film lacks in continuity issues it makes up for in dialogue, story and strong performances by the cast. The cinematography of the film captures both conventional Paris and it's seedy underbelly using dark and dim lighting to give it a gritty feel.