Paris Countdown

Two Paris-based Interpol agents, HALL (30s) and O'NEAL (40s), stake out Austerlitz train station for a rumored drug delivery. Hall's two year contract is coming to an end and is trying to get the promotion that will help him stay posted in Paris. He wants to stay because he's marrying a Louvre curator, JULIE (30s). That night Julie's father, DANIEL (50s) is coming for dinner and Hall plans to ask Daniel for his approval to marry Julie. The evening doesn't go well. Hall's heart-to-heart with Daniel becomes a tete-a-tete. Daniel questions whether Hall's potentially destabilizing job will allow him to be there for Julie when she needs him. Daniel has been a door to door salesman for the last thirty years and knows that being far from home destroyed his marriage. Meanwhile, on the French-Spanish border, four terrorists board a train to Paris. LARS (30s), OTTO (30s), MARIO (20s) and MIGUEL (20s). During the train ride, they kill a man and film a video wearing masks and claiming they're going to destroy Paris in the name of ISIS.
The next day Hall and O'Neal return to Austerlitz station still searching for the drug shipment. Hall uses his INTERPOL ID for personal reasons and stops a shipment designated for the Louvre Museum. Hall is jealous of Julie's boss, MARIUS (40s), the main Louvre curator. Marius is also Julie's ex and is overseeing the delivery of relics. Marius was Daniel's first choice for marrying Julie. Hall tries to hide his contempt for Marius.
Later, Hall and O'Neal notice four suspicious men leaving the station... Lars and his men. Hall observes the men exchanging bags and a USB key with a VAN DRIVER (30s). Hall decides to follow the van driver, thinking this was the expected drug deal. The van driver parks his van in a subterranean parking lot where he waits for someone. The train the four terrorists were on explodes. Hall hears the explosion, decides to apprehend the van driver. As Hall approaches the van driver recites a secret sentence expecting Hall to respond. As Hall is unresponsive, the van driver starts shooting. After the chase, the van driver takes a hostage and slips the USB key into hostage's pocket. Hall sees this. He saves the hostage and kills the van driver. Hall takes the van driver's countdown watch.
Meanwhile, Daniel meets with French officials at the Ministry of Defense. Daniel is a CIA liaison who came to inform the French representatives of impending attacks against Paris. MICHEL (40s), the lead French agent, is skeptical. During the meeting they get a call about the attack. Daniel and Michel hustle over to the destroyed station, where they meet with Hall and O'Neal. Hall accuses Daniel of lying about being a door to door salesman. Daniel knows men like Hall, always wanting action. Daniel has been a supervisor for CIA agents for years and doesn't want to see his daughter get hurt when Hall gets killed. As the watch the video from the USB key they see the next attack is the church Sacre Coeur. Hall and O'Neil state that the attackers were European, not ISIS. Hall saw one of the terrorist take off in a van marked 'Notre Dame Service'. He says the USB was a decoy and was probably supposed to get leaked. Daniel thinks Hall is just showing off but Hall is persistent and convinces them to check out Notre Dame Cathedral.
When they get there, they split up to hunt down the attackers. Hall goes with Daniel, who spots a suspect and decides to approach him. Hall tries to help, but Daniel dismisses him. Angry Hall returns to the church for some more action and finds Lars in one of the priests' chambers. Before Lars can shoot him, Hall recites a secret sentence he heard from the van driver and pretends he is there to help Lars. Lars responds back and demands Hall help him move the body of the dead agent he just killed. Daniel arrives and helps Hall escape from Lars. Lars, wounded in the hand, shoots his way out and escapes using a boat on the Seine River. Michel, O'Neal, Hall and Daniel are ambushed and have to defend themselves. The church is saved and the bomb is defused by the Special Forces team.
The Special Forces Team places a Mobile OPS truck near the Notre Dame Cathedral. AGENT BLANC (40s) leads the Special Forces. Lars moors his boat near the Louvre Museum. Hall notices the countdown watch starting a new countdown. When they hear that the boat is near Louvre, Hall and Daniel realize that this is the next target. They all hurry to stop the next attack. Hall accuses Daniel of lying to Julie. Daniel accuses Hall of being a hothead. In Louvre, Julie works on one of the paintings as the alarm sounds. Lars and his men, dressed as Paris Special Forces, urge visitors to leave. Julie ignores the alarm and continues to work. Hall and Daniel try to call Julie while they pursue the terrorists. Julie tries to leave. Lars finds her and takes her hostage. O'Neal is killed by Otto. Hall and Daniel see all the paintings gone and all the rooms wired with explosives ready to explode. Lars takes Julie with him. They escape through metro station. Louvre's west wing explodes. Damage from the bombing blocks Daniel's way out. But by escaping through ventilation tunnels, he manages to reunite with Hall, who also survived the explosion.
In a high-speed metro shootout Hall snatches Lars's bag containing detonators, several keys, credit cards and fake IDs. Lars leaves with Julie. Hall saves Daniel from the explosion. Daniel blames Hall for letting the terrorist take his daughter. He orders Michel to drop Hall from the assignment. Hall is forced to stay in the Special OPS Center. Hall argues there's a chance Julie is still alive as they might need their bag back. Daniel is out of himself. Leaves with Michel.
Daniel and Michel rush to the Bourse, thinking this is the next terrorist target. Hall stays in the Special Unit center with Lars' bag. Agent Blanc tells Hall that if he wants to see Julie again, he must take the bag to Lars, who is at Lafayette Galleries. Agent Blanc blows up the Mobile OPS truck. Hall kills him and hurries to the Lafayette Galleries with the bag. Hall calls Daniel. Tells him to come as fast as he can at Galleries. Daniel and Michel all arrive at Lafayette Galleries in a helicopter. Hall saves Julie but Lars gets his bag back. Michel is wounded. Daniel lowers the rope from the helicopter and goes down to save his daughter. He picks up Julie in the helicopter, but can't carry Hall. Hall stays to sacrifice himself. Seeing this sacrifice, Daniel excuses himself. The rooftop explodes. In the nick of time Hall sees a way out. He falls through the glass roof and lands on the Christmas tree that centers the Main Gallery. Daniel and Hall go after Lars and Otto. There's a shootout. Otto is killed. Lars gets away. Julie, Daniel and Hall reunite. When Hall explains about the secret sentence, Julie recognizes it as a phrase that Marius uses often. Hall remembers the crates at the station and realizes Marius has organized everything to rob the Louvre Museum. Daniel and Hall go after Marius. Marius reveals his Egyptian origins and explains that that he is just returning the treasures that were stolen from his family and people. Marius wounds Daniel. Hall saves Daniel and kills Lars and Marius. They retrieve the stolen treasures and paintings. Daniel offers Hall a job in the CIA. Hall accepts.

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Weeks on Chart: 6
Peak Position: #3 (November 06, 2017)