Does anyone remember that weird Indian Monkey Man from 2001? Just to refresh your memory, the Monkey Man would appear in urban areas and terrify for Indian peasants to such a degree that they would launch themselves off buildings. No one really knows what the Monkey Man is, and the illustrations make him look like a cross between a Berenstain Bear and Speed Racer, but I think I know why we haven’t seen the Monkey Man in a few years. I posit that the Monkey Man is actually crazy-limbed French actor and martial arts tour de force Cyril Raffaelli, and he’s been enjoying quite a career in France as stunt coordinator on excellent movies like Brotherhood of the Wolf. Perhaps Mr. Raffaelli has completed his reign of terror on the lowest caste system of India, but I hope not because as Monkey Men go, he’s astonishing beyond measure. Not only is Cyril impossibly beautiful, but he seems to move in ways that might make a Henry McCoy blush.
Raffaelli can currently be seen in the French import District B13 from schlock producer and once credible director Luc Besson. I am hoping that the forthcoming Angel-A brings Besson back into my good graces, but I am not holding my breath. You should though. Hold it for a long time.
Despite the fact that Besson has not directed anything worthwhile since the manic, over-stimulated 5th Element, he has served as a producer completing a list of movies that will never be confused with high art even though most are entertaining thrill rides. What sets District B13 apart from Besson’s other producer credits though is that this particular movie actually has something to say.
District B13 takes place in Paris in 2010. After incidents like last Summer’s housing project riots by unsettled Muslim immigrants, the government of Paris decides it must wall off the most dangerous housing project. This is District B13, and the hell hole this sectioning-off creates is populated not just with criminals and thugs, but also with good people who are just trying to make a living in a savage place. The first parts of the film focus on young and idealistic Leito, who by shear force of will has managed to keep his apartment complex clean and crime free. Leito runs afoul of local gangster Taha and his strangely adorable henchman K2 after Leito dumps one million Euros worth of Heroin into Paris’ sewer system.
And thus begins the first of many action sequences that somehow manage to put both Spider-man movies to shame. Like Raffaelli, David Belle as Leito is another Monkey Man, and watching him escape and counter dozens of armed thugs is pure schlock ballet. If there was wire work featured through these scenes, then my eyes have certainly deceived me. Instead this chase just seems like an effortless escapade by a gymnast and martial artist with enough talent to dodge bullets, cars and whatever greasy urban detritus the villains can get their hands on.
Leito’s flight eventually leads to his sister being compromised and Leito facing jail time for a very serious charge. The movie then skips six months where we are introduced to undercover policeman Damien, played by the aforementioned Cyril Raffaelli. The sudden departure from Leito’s storyline at first seems rather abrupt, but once Cyril kicks into action, Leito’s monkey-man antics aren’t really missed.
Cyril is eventually tasked with going into District B13 to retrieve a stolen Neutron Bomb, and he of course has to bring along imprisoned Leito as a guide through the rough neighborhood.
Revealing too much more would spoil the fun, but the movie delivers on some incredibly fun action, and serves as a passing buddy movie. Damien and Leito share a jaunty chemistry. Both characters are idealistic and believe in doing what’s right, but Leito doesn’t trust authorities (with good reason) and Damien perhaps trusts them too much. Throughout the whole movie, the audience is treated to one balletic action sequence after the next. There’s even a weirdly homo-erotic and bondage tinged fight with a huge bear named Yeti.
The movie can easily fall into the category of dumb fun, but with the riots in France still fresh on people’s minds, the movie does offer some blistering insight into the situation in France, albeit with a really heavy hand. Strange that two brassy action movies—X-Men: The Last Stand and now District B13—in two weeks and both manage to present a thoughtful moral tale while still managing to be fresh and entertaining.
Not everything is perfect in B13. The American subtitles were ridiculously simplistic, and while my French is rusty, even the original dialog was ham-fisted and mostly expository, and Leito’s sister Lola manages the quickest de-tox in the history of drug use. The issues never seem to cloud the fun of the movie. Wow, it’s nice to actually enjoy Summer movie fare. I hope this is a sign that Superman Returns and Miami Vice are going to be engaging and entertaining films also.
