13
(aka THIRTEEN)
dir. Géla Babluani, 2010
United States. 91 mins.
In English.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 – 7:30 PM followed by Q+A with Géla Babluani

Spin. Aim. Survive.

Invited across the Atlantic to remake 13 TZAMETI for American audiences, Babluani nevertheless sought to avoid an easy 1:1 Xerox of his masterful debut. Thus, 13 was shot in crisp color instead of the original’s gritty grayscale, and the action relocated from France to Ohio; British actor Sam Riley (hot off his scorching portrayal of Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn’s CONTROL) plays the embattled lead, no longer an undocumented immigrant but rather, a Great Recession-era construction worker who needs money to pay for an expensive operation that might save his father’s life. Riley heads off a jawdropping ensemble cast which also includes Jason Statham, Michael Shannon, Ray Winston, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Emmanuelle Chriqui, David Zayas, Gaby Hoffman and Ben Gazarra (HUSBANDS.)

While this big-budget experiment doesn’t reach the heights of pupil-dilating suspense that made 13 TZAMETI so notorious, it deserves to be seen as an experiment in not leaving well enough alone. Babluani’s tango with the Hollywood foreign-language-remake-industrial complex found him caught up in a game of high stakes and unclear gains, not unlike the hero of his original 13 TZAMETI.

“I think the acting is superb, Sam Riley has done a great job transitioning from a fear stricken first round player to the seething finalist. Michael Shannon is also great as the umpire; you can sense the evil in him playing god. The wickedness can also be found among the gamblers and their complete disregard (disrespect) for human lives. Even the light bulb has some evilness in it! The director perhaps trying to relay the message that we are just pawns of fate and there is no escape in the end. It is a pretty dark movie but the mood is consistent throughout and captivating overall.” – somlaign1, IMDB

“i’m going to say nothing about this movie other than you should watch it. Oh and theres an original apparently, i have to see this.” – Naomi, Letterboxd

“This is definitely not a film for the fainthearted. That such a gruesome gambling scheme could exist is terrifying. But the production and the acting and the grisly atmosphere is well worth the moviegoer’s attention. Grady Harp” – gradyharp, IMDB

“And intense deep dive into the hopefully competent fictional underground world of Russian roulette. 13 is an example of early Jason Statham before he was relegated to action star. This is an entertainingly dark and twisted ensemble that is layered with a foreshadowing touch that adds greatly to the story as a whole. “ – Zak, Letterboxd

“What a crazy movie! I started watching it on a premium channel, and could not stop watching it. Not an award winner film, but a very dark and intense film that kept me watching from beginning to end.” – JayPatton88, IMDB