Zoe (Charlotte Le Bon) is the puppet of an organization that is trying to overthrow the government. She is given a bomb to put in her purse, which she is to leave at the office of a political party. Petrified, she changes her mind and runs to the heights of Montmartre. There, she is the target of Michael (Richard Madden), a pickpocket, who steals the bag containing the explosives. Not seeing any valuables, he throws it away and the bomb explodes. CIA agent Sean Briar (Idris Elba) is called in to investigate.

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With quiet movies like Eden Lake, and The Lady in Black, director James Watkins has until now released movies containing much less testosterone. He puts a great amount of effort into the expected chases and violence, but the result lacks originality. Fortunately, there is Idris Elba, who fixes what he can, but even his charisma can’t fill all the gaps. Sometimes clichéd and mostly predictable, it does contain well-thought-out dialogue and is set in an aesthetically pleasing Paris. In the wake of the attacks of 2015, the film resonates with current events, but the general feel is opportunistic. Bastille Day reminds me of a 1979 quip by the French comedian Raymond Devos: "Ladies and gentlemen, when I have nothing to say, I want everyone to know!"