Writer: Sivarasa Sothivadivel

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Watch this if you liked: “La Haine”, “Banlieue 13”

"La Haine" (1995) goes hi-tech as Leito (David Belle) and Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) pair up to parkour our ass all over the place again, returning to the urban mess that is Banlieue 13 after six years away on the big screen, with a script by ubiquitous French auteur Luc Besson.

Yes, "Banlieue 13: Ultimatum" is gonzo gangland warfare and glamourous anti-authority sentiments for celluloid, oozing with excessive style and exaggerated characters, all doing OT on OTT stunts with minimal dialogue and maximum action. It's a chaotic world where civil unrest is the order of the day and France is a hot pot of bent cops, gullible Presidents, two-bit punks, drug pushers, multi-ethnic warlords and of course, skilled kick-ass ghetto machines like our lead pair.

It's a really fun martial arts flick at the very least and at best, a refreshing action movie with sociological undertones drenched in the multicolour police-hating subculture. Evidently, every time the French take to the streets and riot, a great movie is made! "Banlieue 13" is a visual treat that successfully marries a nonsensical cinematic narrative with the French art of freerunning (l'art du deplacement), a new socio-sport movement of training to overcome obstacles in one's path within the shortest time and most efficient physical techniques. It's a joy to watch this and those unfamiliar with it can expect a sense of great elation, like when watching a Tony Jaa or Jackie Chan movie for the very first time.

On a more academic note however, while the non-stop action makes "Banlieue 13" a great genre addition, some will inevitably see it as a missed opportunity to shoot a modern French classic, having gone the commercial route of maximising blockbuster elements to secure the widest release in the most territories. One such example is that the "Banlieue 13" you watch in Singapore is English-dubbed (and not very well done at that), which doesn't detract from the appeal of the action but does say something about just how much of a well-planned product it really is.

Solid and sexy, the cast and the fantastical things they do make your time at the cinema worthwhile. Others might prefer Besson to go back to more realistic franchises like what was first simply "Taxi" in 1998.

Cinema Online, 10 May 2010