The website is called TrailerSpy, so before I post my review of 13 (Tzameti), we must first discuss the trailer. I actually hadn’t seen 13 (Tzameti)’s trailer until after I saw the movie, which is probably a first for me. I was intrigued enough by the synopsis and the invitation to a free screening.
Watch the trailer at your own risk, because it gives away the specifics of the deadly game in which the main character gets involved. Glowing reviews and festival accolades open the trailer, which then moves right into the action. It gives away entirely too much of the plot, if you ask me, but the trailer will definitely intrigue people. Based on the sneak peek, I say See It.
Then again, I have already seen the movie, so it is hard to be impartial. Thoughts?
[…] 13 Tzameti (pronounced ‘zah-meti’) is a taut, rapidly moving thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It starts slowly, laying the groundwork for the quickly moving plot that follows. Georges Babluani, who bears more than a passing resemblance to James Franco, plays twenty-two-year-old Sebastien, a roofer who is struggling to support his immigrant family While at work on a neighbor’s roof, he overhears chatter about an expected letter that will make the household rich. When his client unexpectedly dies without paying for Sebastien’s labor, he takes the letter and begins to follow the directions. The mysterious instructions tell Sebastien where to go, but he does not know what will await him when he arrives at his destination. Deep in the countryside, Sebastien finds himself a pawn in a high-stakes game of Russian roulette, with no way out. At this point, the movie takes a hold of you and does not let go. I am not going to tell you more about the plot, or the game in which Sebastien becomes involved. (If you truly want to know, watch the trailer below.) What makes this movie so good is the shock the audience gets from realizing exactly what kind of ‘game’ with which the main character has become entangled. 13 Tzameti is in French with English subtitles, though this isn’t one of those foreign films where the characters talk endlessly. The film is shot in black and white and often at very close range, choices that are ill-fitting for the exposition but work perfectly with the game sequence. Sebastien goes through a range of emotions throughout the film, and Georges Babluani gives a nuanced, authentic performance. Pascal Bongard steals scenes as the Master of Ceremonies. This is the first film for writer/director Gela Babluani, but you’d never know it from watching this lightning-fast thriller. I was completely riveted—I barely blinked for the last hour of the film. 13 Tzameti is not a film I would see under ordinary circumstances, but I am glad that I saw it. Stylish, shocking, and well-acted, 13 Tzameti is a movie I won’t soon forget. 13 Tzameti opens on Friday July 28 at the Film Forum in New York City, and on August 11 at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. […]