[DVD Review R2] PARIS LOCKDOWN
I really like gangster movies. I wouldn’t say that it’s my favourite film genre, but I do seem to have quite a few of them in my DVD collection, ranging from the classics (like The Godfather Trilogy and Once Upon A Time In America) to the more modern takes on the genre (like Layer Cake and Gangster No. 1), so the prospect of watching this French gangster movie, Paris Lockdown, which is described in the blurb as sitting comfortably with the “torture porn” movies like Saw, interested me quite a bit.
But I had to wonder – how would it stand alongside the aforementioned movies?
The movie itself tells the story of mob-boss Claude and his gang of thugs, cousins Hitcham and the recently released from gaol Larbi, and gun for hire Franck and their dealings, dalliences, double-dealings and affairs. Claude, played with gusto by Philippe Caub?ère, is an absolute bastard and rules his city with a rod of iron and when the ambitious Hitcham and Larbi start muscling in on his territory with their dealings he starts to exact punishements on them to keep them in line. But then Claude is arrested and sent to gaol for 3 years and a chain of events is set into motion that brings all the parties involved togeather in a cataclysmic meeting.
The story, while being wide ranging and covering a lot of different events, is actually pretty straight forward. It’s a struggle for power between Claude and the cousins with Franck making a living doing whatever is required for the people who pay him the most. His only loyalty is to himself and his partner, Mourad, and he is prepared to do pretty much anything to make some money.
The characters in the movie, well the male ones anyway, are without a doubt one of the nastiest set of characters I have watched in a movie for a long time. None of them have any redeeming qualities and they are all nasty, horrible people and it is very very hard to care whether any of the characters live or die. But this doesn’t make the movie uninteresting or unenjoyable!
Now, I made the distinction above about the male characters because pretty much all the female characters in the movies are either drug addicted prostitutes who are used for sex by the various male characters or drug addicted mob wives who are having affairs. And that’s pretty much it! The women really are just there to be used as and when needed by the male characters. Fairly misognyistic, eh?
All of the actors seem to be having a great deal of fun with their parts and they all seem well suited to the roles, as none of them feel out of place or miscast. It has to be said that Benoît Magimel, who plays Franck, might have watched one too many Robert De Niro movies before playing his character but his attitude does fit the character quite well, so I suppose we can excuse him for that!
This is the third French movie I have been sent in recent weeks and, for some reason, this is the first one to actually deliver what I expect from a French movie! Namely lots and lots of sex and violence. And they are both here in abundance. There is one scene in particular, where a power drill is used as an interregation device, that had me wincing in sympathy with the character being interregated. Ouch indeed!
If you can get past the fact that none of the characters are actually likeable then this is actually a fantastic gangster movie. It’s fast moving, full of violence and unflinching in it’s vision. The director and writer, Frédéric Schoendoerffer, has created an unapologetic and stunning look into the violent and dark underbelly or the City of Light and it is easily as enjoyable as any of the recent Hollywood takes on the genre.
Extras
Making Of: (51 mins) This Making Of covers loads of the production, as it was filmed on set during the filming of the movie and gives a very honest look at the making of the movie, and unlike the extras on Intimate Enemies this one comes with sub-titles!
All in all, if you like violent gangland based movies, then I’d certainly give this a look. As I said, the characters aren’t actually likeable but the movie is enjoyable despite that. It’s very well filmed, performed with gusto by all the actors and is full of sex and violence. Probably not worthy of shooting straight onto your “To buy” list but if you come across it cheap or in a rental store then I’d definately recommend giving it a try.
But please note that this is a really violent movie, featuring multiple beatings, mutilations, violations and shootings. If you don’t like that kind of thing then stay well away from it!
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