LOST BULLET/ BALLE PERDUE
France, 2020, 92 minutes, Colour.
Alban Lenoir, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Ramzy Bedia, Stefi Celma, Rod Paradot.
Directed by Guillaume Pierret.
If an audience is looking for a tough French gangster and police film, this 92 minute thriller, continual action, is a good choice.
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.
- Police thriller? Brief, action-filled, characters?
- The settings, the French city, the coast, streets, shops, police precincts, prison, on the road, car chases? The musical score?
- The focus on Lino and Quentin, the need for money, the robbery, crashing through the four walls, Quentin allowed to go, Lena arrested, in jail? Is expertise?
- Charras, his team, working against drug dealers, vehicles, the need for reinforced vehicles, his approach to Lino, the interview with Moss? Lino, his work, Jeff, time passing, the success of the cars and reinforcements? The document for him to get out of jail, early release? The decision to visit Quentin, the consequences, the shooting of Charras, the later burning of his car, Areski and shooting, the bullet in the car?
- Lino, the fights, escape, contacting Julia, his relationship with her, her not believing him? Areski, Marco, the shooting of the men in the garage, Quentin’s escape?
- Areski, crooked police, control over a team, the drugs, the money? Doubledealing, the shooting of Charras? The discussions with Moss, hints, to mislead her? Insinuations about Julia? His reliance on Marco, brutal towards him, Marco not telling the truth about the hidden car? Setting up the roadblock, the crash through, his being exposed, going home, the money, his escape?
- Lino, his character, resourceful, strength, in fights, mechanical schools, the cars, meeting with Quentin, Marco and the shooting, tying up Marco, phoning Julia, persuading her, the meeting, with Quentin, going to the farm, Julia taken, interview with Moss, giving her the information?
- Quentin’s death, the rope and the leading to the car, uncovering it, putting on the grill, driving, the pursuit, crashing the car, the roadblock? The fire? Bringing the car in to the centre, Moss and Julia?
- The aftermath, Areski’s disappearance, Moss and her concessions, Julia and Lino, his injuries, through the windscreen?
- The sequel taking up immediately?
