Movie with Abe: The Assault (Capsule Review)

The Assault
Directed by Julien Leclercq
Released April 6, 2012



Bringing a true story to life on screen is always a challenging task. Honoring those involved, especially in a serious circumstance, is a delicate manner to be handled with care. As stated in the opening titles of the 1996 film “Fargo,” which, as it turns out, was not actually based on a true story after all, “At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.” This matter is much more serious when the events did in fact transpire, and innocent people were killed. “The Assault” depicts the 1994 hijacking of an Air France plane departing from Algeria. The film is very much like “United 93,” which follows events aboard one of the planes overtaken on September 11th, 2001, in that its happenings are shown without much cinematic commentary, telling a story rather than turning into a movie experience. It’s an appropriate tactic in both cases, and, though it may not be the most gripping film of its sort, “The Assault” is a strong retelling of a dramatic sequence of events, showing the various sides and the sequence of things. It should be taken for what it is: a straightforward representation rather than a cinematic commentary, and at that it seems extremely competent.

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