Ahoy, squirts! Quint here updating from within the Alamo Drafthouse. I've gotten about 5 hours of sleep and am back for young Nicky Kidman in the kickoff to Australian night, the immortal BMX BANDITS! Toronto weekend continues as reviews pour in. I'm gonna try to keep up with them tonight, but bsides this we have the good word on TIDELAND, MANDERLAY and OLIVER TWIST! Enjoy the review... this movie sounds f'n cool!
TORONTO: More Midnight Madness with BANLIEUE 13…LUC BESSON…The most relevant movie of 2005???????
Hey Harry,
It’s a Toronto native writing in after seeing a crazy movie written by Luc Besson called BANLIEUE 13 (13th District).
NO SPOILERS
IN SHORT,
Martial Arts + Futuristic Ghetto + Some sport called PARKOUR + Neutron Bomb
= One COOL/FUNNY/ALLEGORICAL movie, well worth my 20 Canadian dollars on a Friday at Midnight for sure!!! Way way way, better than any of these movies that are released on a weekly basis in North America.
SUPER JUMPIMG
Some sport called Parkour,
This is not your regular jumping from one building to another; it’s a whole philosophy of the jump if you will, the crème de la crème of jumping. Martial arts fused with acrobatics to make the most efficient jumping ever captured on film.
THE PLOT
Some futuristic society, the ghetto is closed off by a wall where gangsters run the streets. Somehow, a neutron bomb is set to blow up the hood, and our 2 heroes’ must stop it.
THE ALLEGORY
As impossible as it sounds, and as unlikely as it may be, the timing of this movie somehow fits to stand as the most relevant movie of the year (SO FAR, barring all non-fictional documentaries, as far as straight fictional movies go). Somehow in this movie, if one looks beyond all the ass kicking, beyond the flying from one building to another without any wires, and beyond the subtle humour in this film, lead by the humorous SCARFACE style villain, one may find a movie that reminds me of the situation akin to many of people living in any ghetto or “hood” across the world. And even for the one’s in New Orleans who feel that they have been forgotten by the government in a time of need.
This may be true because in the movie, they actually do some talking about growing up in a ghetto, and they show how the school systems, cops and even politicians have turned their back and forgotten about the low-income citizens. And even with so many bad things happening in the hood, there are still those who want to live peacefully.
I definitely didn’t expect any of this from a martial arts film, but somehow the theme of survival, and trying to live in a nihilistic world with no government support or intervention has somehow, right out of left field been translated onto film via ass kicking and building jumping.
Thanks Harry if you post this, this movie came out in 2004, and I have not seen it on Amazon or for distribution here yet. AHHH Oh well, at least I can look forward to seeing THE MAN this weekend…?????
I’m out
ane-Finch’s Finest
