13 Tzameti
Seville/Warner Brothers
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Twenty-two-year-old Sebastien 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.

I get a little tired of hearing the word 'unforgettable' get tossed around when it comes to movies. Even if I think about it, I rarely say it. It's kind of like the seventh inning of a possible no-hitter in baseball. You just don't go and pat the pitcher on the back and mention it because it's a curse. I'll eat my words here and declare Géla Babluani's 13 Tzameti as unforgettable.

The film, about a down-on-his-luck young man who finds himself in the middle of a sadist variation on Russian Roulette, is as intense as most any big moment in life that doesn't involve a walk down an aisle or birth. The story is fairly simple. Really, it needn't be complicated. The scenario is enough of a hook. Add to that the repetition of the 'game', the surprisingly human connection and the gritty black and white photography and you've got something that is truly memorable in many ways

Given it's intense nature and controversial subject matter, 13 Tzameti certainly isn't for the squeamish. But I was reminded of early Martin Scorsese. Sure, George Babluani looks an awful like a young Robert De Niro in the lead, but there's something more. There's a sense of guilt that flows throughout the film, even when things are quite as tense as the group duels. This is a common motif in Scorsese's work, particularly in his early street films such as Mean Streets and Taxi Driver.

13 Tzameti does suffer from a weak and even lazy conclusion, but that doesn't stop 90 minutes that come before it. This truly is deserving of being unforgettable.

Video: How's it look?
Shot in black and white, 13 Tzameti looks gritty and stark. The DVD is presented with a sharp looking widescreen format (2.35:1 aspect ratio).

Audio: How's it sound?
The soundtrack is simple but effective. Audio is available only in French (with optional English subtitles) but it sounds great in Dolby Digital 5.1.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Ten-minutes worth of deleted scenes.
• "Testimony of a Survivor" is an interesting interview/confessional from one of the film's secondary, but very central, characters.
• Interviews with stars Georges Babluani and Aurelien Recoing and writer-director Gela Babluani.
• American and French theatrical trailer.
• Sunday's Game is an eight-minute short from Greg Laufenberg that is about as dark as comedy can get. It's twisted in a most delicious way and most appropriate for this DVD.

Closing Thoughts
13 Tzameti is a great film – one that truly is unforgettable. It reminded me a little of Intacto from a couple years back, but the stakes are so much higher here that it makes from something extremely intense. The DVD is a very solid offering including some unique sorts of extras not found on many run-of-the-mill releases.


Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com