RIDERS (STEAL)
France/Canada, 2002, 83 minutes, Colour.
Stephen Dorff, Natasha Henstridge, Bruce Payne, Steven Berkoff, Cle Bennett, Karen Cliché, Steven Mc Carthy.
Directed by Gerard Pires.
Riders is sheer action. There are some characters – but they are really ciphers for the action.
Stephen Dorff leads a team who are athletically fit, utilise rollerblades, skydiving, swimming to effect robberies. He leads a team with two men and one woman. Most of the film shows them training, executing the robberies. By a chance encounter they meet Karen, who is attracted towards Slim, the leader of the group. However, she is a policewoman, a detective, determined to capture the criminals. In the meantime, Bruce Payne as Macgruder is in charge of the investigation but actually controlling the robbers. There is an odd performance by Steven Berkoff as a southern American preacher, criminal. His hairpiece and accent have to be seen and heard to be believed.
The film is directed by Gerard Pires, who directed interesting films in the 1970s like She Runs in the Suburbs and Aggression. However, in 1997 he directed the box office success Taxi and produced its sequels. The main attraction for this film is the action and the stunt work.
1.Popular entertainment? Action? Robberies? Police investigation? Betrayals?
2.The American settings, the city, the banks, the streets, homes, police precincts? The countryside? Rivers and bridges? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3.The title, the focus on the group and their activities?
4.The opening robbery, the skills, Slim and his threats, the hostages? The timing? The escape on rollerblades? The pursuit of the police? Meeting up with Frank on his time off from the supermarket? Getting away with the money? In the street, Alex and Slim, the encounter with Karen and her moving into her house, the friendship? Karen and the attraction towards Slim?
5.Karen, her work, being put down by Macgruder? The relationship with Slim? Recognising his tattoo on the film footage? Confronting him? Wanting to take him down? His giving her the information, her arriving at the airport too late, smiling at the group’s escape?
6.Macgruder, being in charge, his tough attitudes? The revelation that he was the mastermind? His double game, humiliating Karen? The robbing of his safe? His plan to capture the group? Their outwitting him? His arrest?
7.Surtayne, Steven Berkoff and his hairpiece, his accent, the preaching? His being asked to get back the bombs? His threatening Slim? Tough stances? The finale with the robbing of the bank, his being in the van, sitting on the bomb – and its going off?
8.The other robberies, the skills, on the bridge, the car, diving? Jerry and his supervising the group? Tough attitudes? Racist? On the bridge, shooting, his being shot? Utilising his body to deceive Surtayne?
9.The members of the group: Otis, Frank, Alex? Their skills, training? Participation in the robberies? Alex and her jealousy? Her being killed? The threats from Surtayne, throwing Frank out the window? The pool and his surviving?
10.The final robbery, in a different place? The skills carrying it out? The escape, the tickets, the airport, the chartered plane – and the ironic amoral ending that crime does pay?
