'13' has no facile moralizing or preachiness, and that objectivity -- reinforced by daring technique -- makes for an absorbing film.
13 Tzameti (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:64
Fresh:53
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: This starkly minimalist nail-biter of a thriller relentlessly builds up the tension and keeps the audience guessing.
Theatrical Release:06-01-2006
Synopsis: Twenty-two-year-old Sebastien (Georges Babluani) leads an impoverished life with his immigrant family constantly struggling to support them. While repairing the roof of a neighbor's house, he... Twenty-two-year-old Sebastien (Georges Babluani) leads an impoverished life with his immigrant family constantly struggling to support them. While repairing the roof of a neighbor's house, he overhears a conversation about an expected package which promises to make the household rich. Sensing the opportunity of a lifetime, Sebastien intercepts the package which contains a series of specific instructions. Following the clues, he assumes a false identity and manages to slip through the grasp of the enclosing police as he ventures deeper and deeper into the countryside. The closer he gets to his destination and the more people he meets along the way, the less he understands about what he is looking for. Ultimately, he comes face to face with a ring of clandestine gamblers placing bets on the outcome of a multi-player, high stakes tournament of Russian roulette. Directed by newcomer Gela Babluani, 13 TZAMETI (pronounced: 'zah-meti') is a winner-take-all thriller, where an unfortunate young man is transformed into Contestant #13 with no way out save his luck. --© Palm Pictures [More]
Starring: George Babluani, Jean Pascal Bongard, Aurelien Recoing, Fred Ulysse
Starring: George Babluani, Jean Pascal Bongard, Aurelien Recoing, Fred Ulysse, Nicolas Pignon
Director: Géla Babluani
Director: Géla Babluani
Studio: Palm Pictures
Reviews for 13 Tzameti
Pays homage to Michael Cimino's 'Deerhunter' in evoking high tension from a game of Russian roulette.
What a depressing spectacle. But it’s the most good-looking, well-acted, tension-filled depressing spectacle you’re likely to see any time soon.
The problem is, however, that it doesn't get to live in that world as successfully as one would hope, but instead is a common visitor with flashes of genius.
Gela Babluani creates tension with a stripped-down style and an unflinching camera and drives the film with a crisp pace that feels both out-of-control and achingly protracted.
Shot in black and white, '13' maintains a strong disconsolate tone, one in which the world feels barren and uncaring.
Aspires to the heights of a Jean-Pierre Melville or Fritz Lang but proves to be more along the mediocre lines of an M. Night Shyamalan.
Latest News for 13 Tzameti
January 14, 2009:
13 Is Chriqui's Lucky Number ![]()
Emmanuelle Chriqui has joined the cast of "13," the "13 Tzameti" remake that also stars Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, 50 Cent, Ray Winstone, Ben Gazzara, and Alex Skarsgard. More...
October 21, 2008:
Statham and Rourke Starring in 13 Tzameti Remake ![]()
Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, and 50 Cent have signed on to star in Gela Babluani's "13," a remake of the director's own French-language film "13 Tzameti." More...
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