The film is a take on old adventure movies of the seventies, usually featuring Lino Ventura or other French heroes. The beginning is quite slow and even boring : the characters lack dimension and the direction shows off a bit in the Michael Bay tradition (something that will make nowadays movie look dated in a short amount of time.) But after the first half an hour, the film picks up, the characters gets some interest and you wind up really engrossed in this chase, though the scenario remains by-the-numbers. JH Anglade & company all bring out their hysterical best and, in the unnamed country where the action takes place, there are enough weirdo characters (The gas station owner.) and strange happenings to keep you on your seat. The final image is a great way to end a movie which just keeps on gathering speed until the end. Definitely worth a look.
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Phroggy7 August 2002
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pphree5 January 2004I think critics of this film have the wrong approach. It isn't highbrow, or even pretending to be, it may to some be a waste of good actors, but I couldn't care less because I think it is great. There are times when I just want to switch off and be entertained by a mindless action movie, and this one not only delivers, but is pleasantly far from mindless.
We do see the robbery in flashes during the opening credits, the airport crew get shot and the flatbed driving away from the empty plane. On a side note I thought the music here was excellent. There are four main characters who have pulled off the job - the organiser, the driver, the mechanic and the gunman, all of whom are unhinged in some way and whose worst sides come out as events conspire to stop them making their deadline for converting the gold into cash.
But the biggest character is the desert itself. It's beautifully shot, really getting across the effect of the harsh environment on the crew as they begin to bicker and fall out. You know it will descend into violence but it is fun getting there - although the characters are shallow the mind play between them is still very interesting as their quirks and psychotic tendencies emerge and set each other off. I like the black humour of old French action movies so I didn't care how derivative it was here, it was good to see it again and a refreshing break from some Hollywood offerings, nor did it have their tendency to moralise or patronise. You won't have to be Sherlock to figure out what's coming but it's fun finding out and there were still a few surprises.
Sit back and enjoy the ride. -
guirec-duperrin26 January 2005I began watching this movie with my girl-friend. And after 5 minutes I was alone.
I succeed to stay until the end. It has been a painful experience.
I liked jean hugues anglade, but I think that he needed to eat, as us, and thus he accepted to play in this movie.
There are only 5 characters, and the rest could be called 'art' or something that I couldn't express, but that I didn't understand at all.
The only worst movie I saw was crash, but I'm pretty sure now that I have enough experience to watch it successfully again.
good luck!! ;o) -
johnson502 December 2003This is strange film. I was drawn to it because I usually like anything with Jean-Hugues Anglade in it. With the added bonus of Joaquim de Almeida, it had to be worth a look.
There is little attempt made to give the viewer any background or put us at a place in time. We know nothing about the main characters, don't know where they are, we just know they have stolen a large quantity of gold (we don't see the robbery) and we don't know that for about 20 minutes. Basically they are just tearing across a desert in a huge tank transporter and being attacked.
The rest of the film covers their journey to the coast to meet a ship. Inevitably they all fall out. I won't give any more away.
I really enjoyed. The performances are undisciplined, almost manic at times. The photography is pretty spectacular and very real (loads of in-cab stuff on the vehicles). It's also pretty violent.
If you get the chance, watch it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. -
raegan_butcher21 January 2009If you crossed Wages of Fear with Killing Zoe you might end up with something like SWEAT. The plot involves four crooks who hi-jack a truck load of gold from an airport.Then they drive it across the desert. The North African desert, to be precise. They drive that truck over an endless vista of sun baked sand dunes. The location photography is stunning. As the heat works on them the men start to turn on each other. (Maybe there is a bit of Treasure of Sierra Madre in there too.) Jean-Hughes Anglade gives another of his patented ferocious Frenchman performances. Joachim de Almeida plays the Air Traffic Controller who plans the heist. The director shoots everything as if he were overdosing on amphetamines. The editing is similarly jagged. But the overdose of style clashes somewhat with the material.I had to watch it twice to digest all of the information thrown at me. Still a great thriller in the Gallic tradition, complete with excellent downbeat ending.
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mausklicker5 July 2005I'm always happy when a new film comes out that is NOT American. i just read the name jean hugues anglade and "sweat"- then i grabbed it! this is another fine and weird role by anglade, who i love since his great performance in "killing zoe". as someone else posted, SWEAT reminds indeed a bit of "wages of fear" and "mad max"- but that was the only minor flaw 4 me. there is no hero, just villains and, unlike American movies nowadays u actually see men smoking cigarettes- and they are enjoying it! just like i expect from a french movie hehe. great cinematography, great atmosphere (marokko desert), great ending. Vive la France! :-D
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G_W_Freeman20 December 2007Let us make things clear: that film is NOT to be watched with your girlfriend; NOT to be watched by former Air Traffic controllers and NOT to be watched on Sundays and religious holidays. You come home at 8 p.m., you have worked hard, you are dog-tired - that is the perfect atmosphere to watch Sueurs. Much was said about the cinematography (great, indeed), about the actors, the desert itself. But, you know, what makes this a real gem is its perfect balance. "Arty", manic moments mix with furious action, greed turns into violence, west transforms into east and back again. Can't say there is much more to the film than pure style, though.
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jeff-4913 February 2003I choose to see this film because I'm an Air Traffic Controller, and the review mentions an ATCO as one of the main characters... The action takes place in a North African country. A gang robs a gold container at the airport ,a good reason for the ATCO to be involved. He is also 'the brain'... They have to bring this cargo to the coast through the desert on a huge truck . So you get two additional characters : the truck driver and the mechanic. The last part of the trip is a large mine field. To go through, they need a guide, a native girl (or supposed to be) This gives room for a lot of violence between the protagonists, hate-love relationship, betrayal every other minute.. They try to revive the famous HG Clouzot film, "le Salaire de la Peur", but with machine guns and a sort of "Mad Max" atmosphere. Just boring....
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sydneyswesternsuburbs20 June 2011Director Louis-Pascal Couvelaire has created a gem in Sweat.
Starring Jean-Hugues Anglade who has been in other classic flicks, Killing Zoe 1993, Nikita 1990, Maximum Risk 1996 and Leon The Professional 1994.
Also starring is Joaquim de Almeida who has been in other classic flicks, Fast & Furious 5 2011, Behind Enemy Lines 2001, Desperado 1995 and Clear and Present Danger 1994.
I enjoyed the desert scenery, the cinematography and the violence.
If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic truck flicks, Monster Man 2003, Hush 2008, Road Kill 2001, Jeepers Creepers 2001, Jeepers Creepers 2 2003, Road Train 2010, Joy Ride 2 Dead Ahead 2008, Octane 2003, Duel 1971, Race with the Devil 1975, Sorcerer 1977, Roadgames 1981, Mad Max: Fury Road 2015, Wrecker 2015, Heist 2015, Below Zero 2021, Ambulance 2022 and Speed 1994.