13 Tzameti (2006)

Ah yes, what a helpful looking fellow. Could you please drive me to the death comp?

Genre: Crime Noir Thriller (France, Georgia)

Starring: George Babluani, Pascal Bongard

Directed By: Géla Babluani

Overview: When a young man takes the place of another in hopes of earning the promised wealth, he finds himself in the middle of a high-stakes game of Russian Roulette.

Performance:

To think that this was Géla Babluani's directorial debut of a feature-length film that he himself wrote is astounding. Knowing that his own brother was cast in the lead may make you wonder why someone with so much to lose would do such a thing, but think about it this way: imagine writing a feature film script. Who do you think hears about it as it's being written? Imagine a year of discussing motivations and reactions. For as much as the director may have the writing credit, I'd stake my life that his brother knew that character in and out before it even went to final print. I never thought a man could portray this kind of fear so well. Then there's the rest of the cast, don't get me started.
Rating: 9

Cinematography:

To me, Glorious Black and White is the proper foundation of Film Noir, so right away, there's good points for visuals. What really makes this film truly recommendable is also what makes it most disconcerting, to the point of earning a very rare spot in my Caution Films page: suspense made stress at the knowledge that when the trigger is pulled, there will be death. To see such certainty in this fashion and know that it will continue time after time does indeed shake foundations. What makes this even more chilling is the lack of gore. Though I recall an up-close slow-motion shot of a trigger being pulled, I don't remember any moments of bloody bodies pumping blood all over the floor. This film takes the route of the eye, looking at what needs to be seen, and turning away at the right moment to protect you from seeing too much. The camera is character, and its movement is all too familiar.
Rating: 9

Script:

Innocuous enough, the first half of the film is a lot of guess work and suspense building. When we get to the actual game part of the film, there's appropriately little said, except for the loud and direct instructions from the M.C. Either way, it's good to know that a writer can write a script with a lot of dead air... pardon the pun.
Rating: 8

Plot:

Certainly not a date movie, I was torn about telling you all that this was ultimately a big multi-round game of Russian Roulette. The marketing of this film establishes that right away, so I thought I shouldn't hold back on this essential element either. What I would suggest is that you take someone who doesn't know what this is about, because the suspenseful build up about the mysterious job really made me wish that I hadn't known what made this high-paying job so dangerous.
Rating: 8

Mood:

The theme of superstition, though well established, was just a little understated for my tastes. The number 13 is ever-present, most notably on the shirt our protagonist wears. We also have a scene where our hero, Number 13, is dropped off at a crossroads before going to his final destination. When I saw this, I hoped for more symbols of dark and superstitious places. of course I'm a symbol-seeking kind of guy, that's just me. On an upnote, did I mention the deeply chilling aspect of the tension created here? It really grabs you by the unhappy place.
Rating: 9

Musical Chairs with bullets... Eeesh.

Overall Rating: 86% (As Luck Would Have It)

Aftertaste:

So I dragged Girlfriend Of Squish out to see this on a freezing cold and blustery Sunday night, which didn't get me any points to start with. Though she knew what it was all about, she wasn't quite prepared for what was in store. I thought my bleak gore-loving ass would get this thrilling rush out of it, but instead of a predictable Hollywood rendition, we got something far more sinister and honest to the point that it made us queasy. When we left we both appreciated how well made and gripping a film this was, but man, going in prepared doesn't prepare you, and that's the exact reason this is so important. Talk about manipulating your audience.