"13 (Tzameti)" is a very tense, black and white France-Georgia co-production that has made people abroad catch an eye for Georgian cinema and the young filmmaker Géla Babluani.
The plot is simple: a young handyman called Sébastien (George Babluani, Géla's real life brother), decides to follow instructions intended to Godon (Philippe Passon), the owner of the house he'd been repairing the roof of, after Godon dies of drug overdose. But he couldn't imagine he'd be taken to a house in the woods where men gamble on men's lives, and he's forced to take part in a gruesome game of Russian Roulette where only one of the 13 men will survive.
At first, I thought Babluani's directing was cold, and Olga Legrand's performance as Mme Godon was bland. But after Sébastien gets into the house, the film develops its own momentum, a slow, edgy pace, and we are introduced to one of the most claustrophobic, original films of the past years. Many people have compared "13 (Tzameti)" to Polanski, Hitchcock, Lynch etc., and it's somewhat true, but the first names that came to my mind, undoubtedly, were Kafka and Dostoievski. Despite these clear influences, Babluani managed to make an original debut with a simple but thought-provoking plot, and a memorable ending. It's no surprise that Hollywood already signed for a remake. Won't they ever learn? Just remember the most recent catastrophe, "The Last Kiss", the silly remake of the nice Italian film "L'Ultimo Bacio", with a different, more conventional ending.
See the original "13 (Tzameti)" as soon as you can, and you won't be disappointed. 9 out of 10.
The plot is simple: a young handyman called Sébastien (George Babluani, Géla's real life brother), decides to follow instructions intended to Godon (Philippe Passon), the owner of the house he'd been repairing the roof of, after Godon dies of drug overdose. But he couldn't imagine he'd be taken to a house in the woods where men gamble on men's lives, and he's forced to take part in a gruesome game of Russian Roulette where only one of the 13 men will survive.
At first, I thought Babluani's directing was cold, and Olga Legrand's performance as Mme Godon was bland. But after Sébastien gets into the house, the film develops its own momentum, a slow, edgy pace, and we are introduced to one of the most claustrophobic, original films of the past years. Many people have compared "13 (Tzameti)" to Polanski, Hitchcock, Lynch etc., and it's somewhat true, but the first names that came to my mind, undoubtedly, were Kafka and Dostoievski. Despite these clear influences, Babluani managed to make an original debut with a simple but thought-provoking plot, and a memorable ending. It's no surprise that Hollywood already signed for a remake. Won't they ever learn? Just remember the most recent catastrophe, "The Last Kiss", the silly remake of the nice Italian film "L'Ultimo Bacio", with a different, more conventional ending.
See the original "13 (Tzameti)" as soon as you can, and you won't be disappointed. 9 out of 10.