BURN OUT
France, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
François Civil, Olivier Rabourdin, Manon Azem, Samuel Jouy, Sam Louwyck.
Directed by Yann Gozlin.
For audiences who have seen Centauro, Burn Out will seem very familiar – and vice versa. The main reason is that the writing team is responsible for both films.
Burnt Out is French, a focus on drug dealing, on an international level from France to Holland. It is also a story of motorcycle racing. François Civil is Tony, a young man, ambitions to ride, a labouring job, a relationship with a girlfriend and a son, her betraying him, hiding drugs in the house, their being stolen, and her being in debt. The core of the story is Tony’s love for his girlfriend and his decision to go to the dealers and act as a motorcycle courier, for two months and then the debt repaid. The film focuses on the various journeys and the dangers, the attitudes of the dealers, the violence inherent, deals with Arab dealers, betrayals, and locals. Tony does get an opportunity to fulfil his ambitions in motorcycle riding but is caught up in the courier demands and fatigue.
The buildup to a final confrontation – and Tony walking, riding, free.
The later Centauro is very similar and plot, the locations in northern Spain into France – and, a variation, the central character caught by the police and employed by them to deceive the criminals and their arrest. Perhaps this could have been the further continuation of Burn Out.
- Motorcycle story? Professional racing? Drug courier?
- The French settings, the town, homes, drug dealers, officers, the road through Belgium to Holland? The musical score?
- Tony, his story, age, relationship with Leyla, his son, his work, love for bikes, racing? Leyla’s story, drug associates, hiding the drugs, their being stolen, the money demands? Tony, love for Leyla, going to Miguel, the decision to be the courier, the preparations, the journeys, the drugs, the rendezvous, the speed, police pursuits? Jordan and his animosity, control? Tony and his wanting to ride, Mike Patterson, the invitation, the demands? The two months contract with the dealers, the end of the two months, the last ride, Leyla warning him? The Arab connections, the double deals? The local African-French dealers? The final confrontation, the attack on Jordan, Tony lying to Miguel, going to the rendezvous, the fights? Tony being beaten, taking the bike?
- Leiya, Portuguese background, the relationship with Tony, the son, the domestic scenes?
- Miguel, drug dealers, the organisation, Jordan, t hostility towards Tony, making further demands, the deals, trafficking, Holland, connections and double cross?
- The immersion into the world of drug dealing, Tony and his choices, motivations, consequences?
