BRICK MANSIONS
US, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA, Gouchy Boy, Catalina Denis, Auisha Issa.
Directed by Camille Delamarre.
For fans of action films, the plot might seem somewhat familiar. It is. It is the screenplay written by Luke Besson for his French action film, Banlieue 13. Its star, David Belle, performs in this translation of the action to Detroit in 2018. Belle is noted for a group which invented Parkour, a means of performance using every aspect of the body and its movements for action sequences. These were striking in Banlieue 13 and just as striking in this film, especially for someone at the age of 40.
The setting is the near future, Brick Mansions being an area of Detroit in 2018 which is the centre of drug activity and slums, with a huge wall built separating the area from the rest of the city, akin to the wall dividing Israel and Palestine.
The film is full of action, an extraordinary chase within the first 10 minutes involving David Belle, car chases, martial arts fights, fistfights, shootouts. The action, while interesting, overpowers the rest of the plot, the work by an undercover policeman, Paul Walker in one of his last films, in capturing drug lords and infiltrating Brick Mansions to diffuse a neutron bomb. In the background are machinations by the Mayor to sell off Brick Mansions to highflying entrepreneurs and even willing to detonate the neutron bomb to eliminate the population and bring down the buildings.
David Belle portrays a Frenchman, living in Brick Mansions, who is against drugs and becomes the target for one of the main dealers, Tremaine Alexander (RZA) who has been named as the killer of Paul Walker’s father. The Frenchman’s girlfriend is also involved as is a very tough female assistant to Tremaine. The unmasking of the authorities is to be expected, but the twists at the end, rather unlikely.
1. A remake of a French film, transferring the action and issues to Detroit in 2018?
2. The title, the visualising of the area of Detroit, dilapidated, gangs, drug dealing, guns? The plans for the area, to be sold off, the development, to be destroyed by the neutron bomb?
3. The emphasis on action, David Belle and Parkour, his character, his skills, the chases, the fights? The initial 10 minutes, Lino destroying the drugs, the thugs in their pursuit, the extraordinary extended chase – the details, and the later leaping from building to building and urging Damian to do the same? The taking of his girlfriend? His trying to get her back? The doublecross, imprisoned, his killing the corrupt guard? The encounter with Damian, the pretence of the escape, his turning the tables, his recognising Damian as police, their working together, the fights, the athletic turns, the confrontation with Tremaine, the bomb, the rocket, the confrontation with Tremaine, the countdown to the bomb, going to the officials, the confrontation? With Lino at the end? Lola, Lino’s friend, her work, abduction, being guarded by the woman, the final fight, death? The happy reunion at the end?
4. Damian, the initial sequence, with the Greek, taken into the centre, his alerting his squad, the confrontation, the shooting, the pursuit, the taking of the Greek? His grandfather, smoking, his not wanting Damian to be involved in such dangerous work? The reports of his chase, his hanging onto the car at high speeds, the shootings, the arrest? Damian and his admiration of his father? The commission to go into Brick Mansions, undercover, with the Lino recognising him as police, the struggles, the turning of tables, the fights? The agreement to collaborate? Going together, the confrontation with Tremaine, the chases, the bomb, the rocket? Further chases, on the roof, the confrontation, the truth about Tremaine? The confrontation of the Mayor and his associate, the plan to use the bomb in Brick Mansions, his being filmed, on the television news, the arrest? Damian’s return to his grandfather?
5. Tremaine, former military, his decision to be Lord of Brick Mansions, his personality, cooking, discussions, ruthless and shooting? His girlfriend? The confrontation with LIno and Damian, the bomb, on the roof, not wanting to destroy people, the irony of his being a candidate for the new mayor?
6. The various henchmen, thugs, police, corrupt police, the civil administration and its plans?
7. Action and its domination of the social consciousness screenplay?
