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The Most Watchable and Best BMW Advertisement

Browsing around YouTube I accidentally came across footage from the short film series The Hire - intrigued, I downloaded the whole series via Torrent. Truly watchable pieces. They are in fact a total of 8 short films, commissioned by BMW in 2001 and 2002 to showcase the advantages of BMW on any road surface, in any corner of the world, and in any extreme situation.

Browsing around YouTube I accidentally came across footage from the short film series The Hire - intrigued, I downloaded the whole series via Torrent. Truly watchable pieces.

They are in fact a total of 8 short films, commissioned by BMW in 2001 and 2002 to showcase the advantages of BMW on any road surface, in any corner of the world, and in any extreme situation.

One wonders how much BMW splashed out on these films, none of which is longer than 10 minutes! In all the films the main character - the BMW driver - is played by Clive Owen. But he is not the only star attached to this project. There is a whole galaxy of them, ranging from legendary and contemporary musicians to famous Hollywood and international film actors - Tomas Milian, Mason Lee, Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, Adriana Lima, Madonna, Stellan Skarsgård, Lois Smith, Maury Chaykin, Kathryn Morris, Don Cheadle, F. Murray Abraham, Clifton Powell, Gary Oldman, James Brown, Danny Trejo, Marilyn Manson.

In each film the main character drives the car like a god. Stuntmen and special effects masters had their work cut out. Moreover, in each of the storylines the advantages of BMW are highlighted as if in passing - in one short film the sensors conspicuously start beeping because the driver hasn't closed the door; in another the car brakes on wet tarmac one centimetre from an obstacle; in yet another the light leather interior is so wonderfully cleanable that even bloodstains are a trifle.

Here are the 8 storylines, in which a driver rents one of the BMW models to carry out his mission. Each of these storylines is a self-contained, fully-fledged story.

"The Hire: Ambush" (2001)

The driver in a BMW 7 Series rescues a merchant who is being pursued because he is transporting valuable diamonds. To motivate the driver to save his skin, the old man claims he swallowed the diamonds and they can only be found in his stomach - upon cutting him open.

"The Hire: Chosen" (2001)

A holy child from Asia - something like the Dalai Lama in childhood - is transported in a BMW 5 Series. This child's uniqueness manifests in the ability to predict future events. Getting into the car, he gives the driver a box, which he is not allowed to open before reaching the final destination. A pursuit naturally follows, with action involving the rescue of the child from a kidnapper. The driver ends up with an injured ear, but on opening the gifted box, finds a plaster.

"The Hire: Follow" (2001)

This short film features a total of two cars - a BMW 3 Series and a BMW Z3 roadster. One is driven by the driver, the other by his subject - the wife of some famous film actor. She was put under surveillance by the character played by Mickey Rourke, who is worried about his wife's possible infidelity. Initially the driver takes on this mission, but later his understanding of the situation leads him to abandon the job - and with it a substantial sum of money.

"The Hire: Star" (2001)

Well yes - this is actually the very short film I stumbled upon while searching YouTube for a Madonna song. The star - a proper diva by character - is played by the pop star herself. The driver in a white BMW M5 shows class escaping from a mob of fans and paparazzi, but ends up delivering the conceited star into a thoroughly ridiculous situation.

"The Hire: Powder Keg" (2001)

The driver in a BMW X5 tries to rescue war photographer Harvey Jacobs from hostile territory somewhere deep in the south, who has recently witnessed a mass killing. Lots of blood in the car's light-coloured interior and a sad ending.

"The Hire: Hostage" (2002)

The driver in a BMW Z4 takes part in an FBI mission to free a CEO who has been taken hostage by a disgruntled employee. The ransom is $5,088,042. For those with weaker nerves in today's difficult economic climate, I would not recommend watching the scene where neatly packaged bundles of money are tossed onto a barbecue grill and burn in rosy flames. :) The story ends happily - the female boss is fished out of the boot of a car sinking in a river, while the captor dies in hospital.

"The Hire: Ticker" (2002)

A diplomat with a secret silver briefcase must be urgently delivered within a set time to a specific base. This mission is carried out by the driver in a BMW Z4 with an almost empty fuel tank. The result is the saving of a life of national importance.

"The Hire: Beat the Devil" (2002)

A motor race takes place with the Devil himself for the soul of blues legend James Brown. The winner, of course, sits at the wheel of a BMW Z4.