LOST BULLET 2/ BALLE PERDUE 2

France, 2022, 100 minutes, Colour.

Alban Linoir, Stefi Celma, Sebastien Lalanne, Nicolas Duvauchelle,

Directed by Guillaume Pierret.

 If  an audience is looking for a tough French gangster and police film, this 92 minute thriller,and its sequel continual action, are good choices.

The screenplay was written by its star, Alban Lenoir, who plays Lena, a small time crook who, with his brother, attempts a robbery to get some valuables in cash, drives his personally souped-up car through four walls, failing with the robbery, getting his brother to safety, his being arrested and going to prison.

The development of the plot concerns the chief of the drugs squad who is impressed by Lena’s talent with cars, gets in leave of absence from prison to work on strengthening the mobile fleet for the drug squad. And, in Highway pursuits of dealers and carriers, the cars are more than efficient.

However, what emerges, is that one of the main police officers on the squad is corrupt, working with his associate, skimming off money from the deals. Which builds up into dramatic confrontation between Lee no and the corrupt officer, a number of car chases, crashes.

And, as audience, we are caught up in all the action, some sympathy for Lee no and some characters, antipathy towards the corrupt police and their lack of scruple.

The corrupt police are shrewd, set up a Lee no as the fall guy, the authorities suspicious about him, pursuing him. And, then the film ends.

Two years later, the sequel was released, beginning with the very same sequences with which the first film ended. Which means then that Lena is still working on the cars, but has vengeance on the corrupt policeman’s assistant who has killed his brother in the previous film. There are some complications when the corrupt police still try to set up Lena, trapping, insinuating to the authorities that Lena is really a killer.

A lot of this sequel is taken up with work on the cars, a great number of car chases, issues of Spanish police and the border, suspicions within the police force of Lena, and is finally vindicating himself, but…

And the sequel and is there, ready for another film to take up at this moment.

1. The immediate link with the first film, same sequences, leading to the consequences?
2. The settings, the police precincts, the garage and the work with the cars? The new pursuits, the high-powered cars, crashes, and into Spain? The remote hideout? Musical score?
3. Most of the film with the car chases, action sequences, effects, drama?
4. Lino, the immediate aftermath of the first film, the relationship with Julia, with Moss, going to meet Stella, the animosity towards Areski, the relationship with her? Julia’s reaction? A year passing, Lino and his work, yet wanting vengeance on Marco for the death of Quentin?
5. The phone call, allegedly from his mother, the new team, to capture Lino and put blame on him? Lino going to the rendezvous, finding Marco, the attack, the fight with the team, getting Marco away? Moss and the phone calls, Julia and the phone calls, his bringing Marco back to the headquarters and marching him in?
6. Lino not knowing the truth, Moss and her plan, witness protection for Marco, to get to the boss and evidence against him? Lino wanting him to go to prison for the death of Quentin?
7. The fight in the headquarters, the new gang arriving, demanding Marco? The even more elaborate fights, Lino taking Marco, in the boot of the car? The intention to take Marco into Spain? The contact with Alvaro?
8. Julia, the pursuit, the driving, her team? The powers that be setting up the roadblocks?
9. The know, his driving, his including the pursuit, phoning Alvaro, his arriving with the van, Marco in the van, their going towards the checkpoint, the authorities getting the news, setting up the alternate roadblock?
10. Lino, misleading the pursuers, Julia pursuing, the crashes, Marco gone?
11. Alvaro, the cover of the van, making for Spain, the roadblock, the shooting, the injured driver? Marco and his fear? The crash, Marco escaping, Alvaro and the pursuit?
12. Julia, taking Lino, her team handcuffing him? In the car, the crash, his finding Marco, dragging him to the restaurant, across the border into Spain, the girl ringing the police, Marco and his attack on Lino, stabbing him? Julia arriving, Marco holding the woman as hostage, Julia’s tactic, the gun, shooting Marco? Lino, his getting the gun, shooting Marco?
13. Julia, the confrontation with Moss, no more lies? Lino to be blamed for Marco’s death?
14. The postscript, a risky going to the car yard, the worker with his box from Lino’s car, the metal, the setting up of the sequel?