13 Tzameti
Studio: Palm Pictures
Rated: NOT RATED
Release Date: 2007-02-13
Cast: George Babluani, Pascal Bongard, Aurélien Recoing, Fred Ulysse, Nicolas Pignon
Director: Géla Babluani
Screenwriter: Géla Babluani
WorkNameSort: 13 Tzameti
After a roofing job for immigrant Georgian laborer Sébastien abruptly ends with the death of the Frenchman who hired him, he puts together the overheard snippets of the now-dead man’s conversations to covertly follow through on a ‘big jobâ?� that promises a substantial payoff. Played by George Babluani ‘ the brother of Géla Babluani, the film’s director ‘ Sébastien is neither naïve nor nefarious, but he is wholly unprepared for the insane brutality that plays out when he arrives ‘ cloak-and-dagger style ‘ at a house in the isolated French countryside. There, a gambling ring is engaged in a horrifying game of Russian roulette that’s a cross between a fight club and a human cockfight; should Sébastien (known only as ’13â?�) prevail over his other, anonymously numbered fellow contestants, he stands to win many thousands of francs. Should he lose … well, he’ll have a bullet in his skull. Dizzyingly tense, 13 Tzameti is shot in black-and-white, a smart decision by the director that makes the film less like a snuff flick and more like a raw, noir thriller. An excellent, if harrowing, piece of work.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.