Directed by Pierre Morel Starring: David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, Bibi Naceri, Tony D'Amario, Dany Verissimo Review by Conor Duffy
SYNOPSIS:
Rife with drugs and violence, the Parisian suburb of District 13 is walled off from polite society. When an experimental neutron bomb is stolen by ganglord Taha Bemamud a police officer must team up with a convict and former resident of D13 to retrieve it.
Imagine if John Carpenter's cult classic Escape From New York had instead been set in a dystopian Paris and starred a founder of parkour, or free running. What you see would probably be a very close approximation of District 13 (Banlieue 13 in its native French.) Directed by action cinematographer Pierre Morel, and with a script co-written by Luc Besson, it is a fast-paced romp set among the high rise tower blocks of the Paris suburbs. The film stars David Belle, one of the original innovators of parkour, an athletic discipline that consists of moving quickly and fluidly through an urban landscape. This can involve jumping between rooftops, scrambling up brick walls or vaulting over railings and fences, and thanks to the Internet it has grown an international following.
It is easy to see why it would appeal to writers and directors of action films, as masters of parkour are capable of remarkable athletic feats. No doubt it had quite an effect on Luc Besson, director of classics such as The Big Blue, La Femme Nikita and Leon. He wrote the script for District 13 with Bibi Naceri (who also plays villainous criminal kingpin Taha Bemamud) with an emphasis on athletic action sequences over strong dramatic scenes. As such, the film could be accused of being without weight, but it's not hard to see that the goal of District 13 is to entertain and, as a straightforward, fun action flick, it does just that.
Set in the near future (2010, to be precise) the film centres around Belle's protagonist Leïto. With the entire district walled in, its poor influence effectively quarantined from the rest of Paris, criminal gangs soon take over the tower blocks, within which the scared community live, powerless to stop the gangs. Leïto is one of the few willing to take a stand, fighting to keep his block free of drugs. He soon finds himself up against Taha, and through a mixture of the ganglord's influence and the French police force's indifference, Leïto is soon imprisoned as a criminal himself. To make matters worse for our hero, his sister Lola (Dany Verissimo) is kidnapped by Taha and turned into a mindless drug addict.
Leïto's saviour comes in the form of hard-nosed undercover cop Capt. Damien Tomaso (played with tough guy aplomb by actor/stuntman Cyril Raffaelli.) When a neutron bomb capable of destroying the city is stolen by Taha, Damien is given the task of finding it, with the reluctant Leïto's help. And so the final half of the movie sees our odd couple fight off gangsters, walk into the lion's den to confront Taha and race across the district to prevent the bomb from being launched into the heart of Paris. Constantly moving at a breakneck pace, District 13 doesn't waste our time with extensive character development, nor does it give the cast much more to do than scream at one another and/or laugh menacingly. This is not a film designed to stretch the viewer's mind, to leave deep philosophical questions. It's simply about telling a straightforward story in a manner that is hugely entertaining, and in that it succeeds.
The cast work well with the small amount they are given, with Naceri and Tony D'Amario (as the giant thug K-2) especially memorable for their mix of menace and humour. Raffaelli is excellent as the tough cop willing to do whatever it takes to stop the crook, and even Belle, who has only acted in a handful of roles, acquits himself as the central character. The only person who doesn't get as much chance to shine is Verissimo, who in the short time she receives shows Lola to be just as tough and stubborn as any of the men around her, even when tied next to a primed rocket launcher.
Director Morel has worked as cinematographer on the likes of The Transporter and Unleashed, so it goes without saying that the action sequences are impeccably shot. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone to know that Belle and Raffaelli performed many of their own stunts; the parkour sequences are especially impressive, performed as they are without wires or camera tricks. When Leïto climbs out of a window and begins scaling a tower block to escape Taha's men at the start of the movie, that's really David Belle jumping across ledges and risking injury as he makes 15ft drops onto concrete. The result is one heart stopping sequence after another, taking in everything from rooftop escapades to gunfights to defending oneself with a steering wheel.
Pierre Morel and Luc Besson worked together again on 2008's Taken, starring Liam Neeson, which was infused with the same high energy and sense of excitement, even if it lacked the humour of District 13. And though Morel did not return for District 13 - Ultimatum, the sequel released this year, with Belle and Raffaelli back playing the odd couple heroes and Besson again writing a script that is equal parts ridiculous and exciting, one can only assume that the adrenalin rush of District 13 hasn't abated just yet.
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DISTRICT 13, 2004
