TUEURS/ ABOVE THE LAW
Belgium, 2017, 86 minutes, Colour.
Olivier Gourmet, Lubna Azabal, Kevin Janssens, Bouli Lanners.
Directed by Jean-François Hensgens, François Troukens.
This is a tough Belgian crime drama, based on a crime spree in the 1980s, the Brabant Killers. There were arrests at the time, murders, including a judge investigating a case.
Decades later, there seem to be a repeat of these crimes.
The focus of attention is on a criminal and his potential involvement – and his stances in later decades. His played by prominent Belgian actor Olivier Gourmet.
The impact of the film will be strongest in Belgium but it takes its line in the tradition of tough French-language crime thrillers.
- Belgian crime drama? 1980s? Government? Terrorists? 30 years later? Corruption? Cover-up?
- The title, the killers? Ruthless killings? Power?
- The Belgian setting, the city, the countryside? Parking areas, the streets? Police precincts? Stage robberies? Stage massacres? The musical score?
- The opening, the stakeout in the parking area, the judge, contacting the police, the cars, the masked killers, the assassinations? The move to 10 days earlier, the role of the judge, informant, the minister and exposure, police investigations?
- Frank Valdek, his role in the 80s, his squad, military, power, escape from jail, his colleagues, the setup of the robbery, success, the escape, the pursuit, the shootout, the death of his colleague, Frank escaping, his relationship with his wife, family? His being captured, interrogated, in prison?
- Lucie Tesla, police, contact with the judge, with Bouvy? The squad for investigation? Tesla’s suspicions, being thwarted, the contact with Frank, in the car with him, the shootout, the death of big, her going to the prosecutor, reporting to him, with Bouvy? Her life in danger, shot at?
- The background of the 1980s, The Killers, motivations, the disappearance? The death of the judge, the situation contrived that The Killers would be blamed? The execution of the judge?
- Frank, in jail, his contacts, his escape, rounding the gang, to prove his innocence of the murder of the judge?
- The journalist, the contact with Tesla, the informant, the chauffeur of the corrupt minister? Bouvy, tracking him down, executing him?
- Frank, escape, on the motorbike, shooting the prosecutor, giving the information to the journalist?
- Brief, fast-paced, audience need for more information about situations, background and characters?
