Safecracker Hugo Sartet (Roschdy Zem) escapes from two thugs and gets run over by a motorcycle. He is unconscious in the hospital where an assassin tries to kill him. He is saved by the quick reaction of nurse's aide Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche). Police Commandant Fabre (Mireille Perrier) is given the case. Samuel is attacked at home and his very pregnant wife Nadia (Elena Anaya) is kidnapped. He is told to remove Hugo out of protective custody. The planned exchange goes wrong. He joins Hugo to take down corrupt Commandant Patrick Werner (Gérard Lanvin) and recover his wife.It's an action-packed thriller. It's very tight and rather short at a little over eighty minutes. The caper inside the police station is thrilling. The story itself has a few holes but the quick pace of the movie doesn't allow them to linger. After the initial failed assassination, it seems easier for Werner to kill Sartet without needing to commit a kidnapping. The whole premise is a little convoluted. I'm also unsure of why Werner is keeping incriminating video of his crime instead of destroying it. The costume department needs to find different colors. Everybody is wearing black leather jackets and too many people look the same. The adrenaline-laced action never lets up and these minor flaws are papered over.

Edge of your seat entertainment and kudos to the actors, director and the team that brought this forward making it look so real. Well done. Plausible story of everyday life and it going about its business until it clashes with your life. Then, the real story begins. What would you do? Mr. minding his business, works hard and has a life and a future is pulled into a happenstance that not only threatens his life but that of his family. This is no super hero, martial arts expert or extra-ordinary person by just looking at him nor is it implied either. However, what comes out of this man who is thrust into a do or die situation makes us join him and join him we do. You may find yourself wanting get up and start running when he does. Edge of your seat at times, tense, gripping and a good story. A real scary moment, without revealing details is made known which is: What do you do when the police are corrupt and your word has to go against them? Another poignant point is having to watch a pregnant woman at risk and harm, who is so vulnerable enduring what no pregnant woman should. The viewers emotions are activated, captured and then taken hostage right along into the movie. The ending doesn't end when you think it will and then we are satisfied. Look for the grin on the mans face at the end. It says it all... along with a question he answered put to him by his wife. Well done! Ah, a entertainment delight. Eat if you want to while watching, but remember to chew your food. Definitely a snack movie too. Why is it that Hollywood cannot get this consistent with their work? Until they do, look to France and others do remind us

The opening scene of this French thriller sees an injured man being chased by two men with guns; just as it looks as though they have caught him he is struck by a motorcycle. He is taken to hospital where his pursuers make another attempt on his life; this time he is saved by trainee nurse Samuel Pierret. This turns out to be a dangerous move for Samual as soon after his pregnant wife, Nadia, is kidnapped by the injured man's brother… it turns out he saved is wanted criminal Hugo Sartet. Samual manages to get Hugo out of the hospital but the police are closing in on them rapidly. The planned exchange Hugo for Nadia doesn't go as planned then before they can arrange another meeting Hugo's brother is killed and Nadia is held by another far more dangerous group; a squad of corrupt cops who will do anything to ensure that their involvement in the murder of a wealthy business man stays hidden… including killing honest cops and eliminating anybody who knows what they did.At around eighty minutes in length this is hardly a long film and it seems even shorter as the action barely lets up for a moment. Apart from a couple of establishing scenes featuring Sam and Nadia it is all action as Sam and Hugo flee their pursuers and ultimately turn the tables on them. The action feels very real and painful; it is also quite shocking at times. This is helped by the fact that protagonist Sam, excellently played by Gilles Lellouche isn't a tough guy action man; he is just an ordinary man driven by extraordinary circumstances. The rest of the cast also perform well making the characters believable. Overall a nice taut thriller that shows you don't need car chases and exploding helicopters to make an exciting film… I'd certainly recommend it.These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.

At barely 80 minutes this film covers a lot of ground very quickly and does so in an effective and engaging manner. The plot sees an innocent man drawn into murder and corruption when his wife is kidnapped in order to force him to free someone being held in police custody in a hospital. From here it moves with an urgent pace that works very well and keeps you engaged. The plot is not perfect but it keeps moving and keeps things very taut, so you go with it from start to finish.The strength of the film is this urgency and sense of real peril throughout; it works with the pace of delivery to makes the telling very tight and produce several tense sequences which flow together well. Lellouche is good in the lead as his desperation is played well – at no point does he transform into an action hero but rather stays in character. Zem is simpler as a delivery but his tough presence works well. Anaya does "peril" well in her short time and the various villains and police are good support. Generally everyone is convincing and the film uses this well to help build the tension.A Bout Portant is a simple film that does what it does and does it well. It hits the ground running and keeps moving till the end. Tight and engaging.