Banlieue 13 (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Pierre Morel

Writers:

Luc Besson (writer)
Bibi Naceri (writer)

Release Date:

10 November 2004 (France)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Welcome to District B13 Welcome to the future

Plot:

Set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Paris | Drugs | Ghetto | Neutron Bomb

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Cyril Raffaelli	...	Capt. Damien Tomaso
David Belle	...	Leïto
Tony D'Amario	...	K2
Bibi Naceri	...	Taha Bemamud (as Larbi Naceri)
Dany Verissimo	...	Lola
François Chattot	...	Krüger
Nicolas Woirion	...	Corsini
Patrick Olivier	...	Le colonel
Samir Guesmi	...	Jamel
Jérôme Gadner	...	K2 boy 1
Tarik Boucekhine	...	Yoyo (para 1)
Grégory Jean	...	Para 2
Warren Zavatta	...	Para 3
Dominique Dorol	...	Cerbère Taha
Ludovic Berthillot	...	Le gros mercenaire

Also Known As:

13th District (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)
District 13 (UK) (USA) (literal English title)
District B13 (Canada: English title) (USA)
B13 - Banlieue 13 (France) (poster title)
Barrio 13 (Australia) (DVD title)
Тринадцатый район (Russia) [ru]
13. dzielnica (Poland) [pl]
13th District (Thailand: English title) [en]
13th District (Finland) (video title) [fi]
B13 - 13º Distrito (Brazil) [pt]
B13 - 13th District (Sweden) [sv]
Ghetto Gangz - Die Hölle vor Paris (Germany) (DVD title) [de]
Poliisipiiri B13 (Finland) (TV title) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, some drug content and language.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES

Certification:

Taiwan:R-18 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:NC-16 | France:-12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:18 | Canada:14A | Ireland:15A | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:MA | Australia:MA (2008) | Netherlands:12 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

MediaPro Studios, Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Europa Corp.

Trivia:

The whole movie took 10 months for production (idea, script, casting, filming, etc), January 2004 - October 2004.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Damien attempts to punch in "3" to deactivate the bomb, the layout of the keypad is different than at any other time.

Quotes:

K2: You go up the stairs, I'll take the elevator. For once it's not broken.

Movie Connections:

References Blazing Saddles (1974)

Soundtrack:

Sté Éléctro 2

GREAT action movie

People people people...anyone expecting Citizen Kane out of this movie needs to have their head examined. BUT...if you were looking for a thrilling, fast paced roller-coaster, that's what you will find.

For the past year, I have been seeking out alternatives to American cinema because it has become so formulaic and awful. I troll IMDb and eBay to see what else is happening in the world. Sure, B13 is derivative, but it is certainly more exciting than another "re-imagining" of a 70s cop show.

The opening sequence took my breath away. I was half-way through the film before I felt it was sage to dart to the kitchen for a drink. I said to my wife "THIS is the movie I've been searching for." Even the subtitles were good. The verbiage and spelling were very authentic and slang-conversational. It did not feel forced as many foreign films do. It was definitely subbed with the British market in mind, as some of the banter evoked thoughts of Lock, Stock or Layer Cake or Football Factory.

If I want a truly compelling story, I'll look elsewhere, but check out B13 for the some great fight scenes, excellent scenery and mind-blowing athleticism.