DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM soars, thrills & delights via Luc Besson/Patrick Alessandrin

Why doesn't America have something like the Luc Besson stable of directors, writers and perfor-
mers that France possesses? The closest we come -- under-appreciated and under-seen as it is -- would be the Neveldine-Taylor duo (the Crank films and the more recent Gamer). What the Besson group (some of whom are shown below) offers are action movies that really move, loaded with intelligence (and only a modicum of bloodshed) and executed with genuine skill in terms of concept, direction, peformance, screenplay, stunts and all the rest.

For a fine example of the Besson touch, look no farther than the movie opening tomorrow -- DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM -- a kind of sequel to the popular District 13 from 2004, in which we met Captain Damien Tomasso of the French police and his soon-to-be pal, the street punk Leïto. Though these two would seem to be on opposite sides of the law, their commitment to truth, justice and the Français way soon makes them fast friends. D-13 Ultimatum quite literally begins with the ending of the original film, and before we can say sleazy, manipulative, lying, murdering right-wing bastards,  the powers-that-be are once again trying to rid France of its notorious B (for Banlieue) 13, where the French have-nots of all races and persuasions gather.

The sequel, directed by Patrick Alessandrin, pretty much does the same thing as its predecessor: It offers some phenomenally clever and entertaining action sequences spliced into a good-enough story about bad guys in the police and the government and their nefarious plot against the now famous "District."  The first of these sequences (there are maybe half a dozen within the 90-minute movie)  involves a Chinese night club (above) with a very unusual bar girl and offers non-stop action and fun with little blood and guts.  Instead the viewer is treated to a display of expert martial arts and parkour combined with wit and film savvy.

My adult daughter accompanied me to the screening and assured me afterward that the martial arts on display were about as good as the movies have given us, combining various types into one stunning demonstration.  She also had high praise for the actions skills of the two leads: Cyril Raffaelli (below foreground, bald -- who plays policeman Tomasso) and David Belle (below center, tatooed -- who essays Leïto). Along for the wild ride can be seen two staples of French film: Philippe Torreton (César-winner and Comédie-Française star, who plays the decent but be-deviled French President, and Daniel Duval as the chief sleaze. Both are fine, with Torreton providing the kind of nuance that films of this genre rarely receive.

Once again, in addition to the great fun the film gives, what distin-
guishes this D-13 movie is the understanding Besson (he wrote the screenplay and produced) brings of the politics, sociology and econ-
omics of France (and by extension the west) -- not just its obvious divisions (and how the right wing manipulates these against each other) but what it might take to bring them together. If there's nothing quite as tasty here as the original's great line comparing liberty, equality and fraternity with gas, water and electricity, the script is still packed with smart dialog and fast, funny quips.

The finale, by the way -- which in any American version would have explosions and probably carnage aplenty -- is here handled by mere sound effects, muted and at a distance.  We know what is about to happen, but only a movie-maker who understand the uses of subtlety and who trusts his audience as he does himself would take this kind of chance. Does it pay off? You'll find out.

District-13: Ultimatum, from the Magnet Releasing arm of Magnolia Pictures , opens Friday, February 5, across the country in nine cities, including New York's Village East Cinemas.  In the month to come, it will open on screens in nine more.  Click here for playdates, cities and theaters.