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13 TZAMETI Send This Review to a Friend
In this French film by Georgian writer-director Gela Babluani, a 22-year-old suddenly unemployed worker in a French town intercepts a letter from his boss, who dies unexpectedly. Sébastien (Georges Babluani) understands that if he follows instructions given in the letter, he stands to earn a lot of money. But he hasn’t a clue as to what he is getting into. He will be risking his life.
Picking up a train ticket as directed, he moves into a shadowy world of mystery and is led to the destination where high-roller gamblers assemble to place their bets. The game turns out to be a form of Russian roulette. Sébastien finds himself one of those who stand in a circle and shoot at the man in front. The bets are on who survives. The last man standing can win a pile of money. The losing players are carried out as corpses.
The game, of course, is thoroughly disgusting, yet the film, shot in black an white, is gruesomely compelling as suspense builds over whether Sébastien will emerge alive. There is no escaping once he has arrived. He is trapped in this murderous ritual.
“13 Tzameti” is very well done, perhaps even a metaphor for the perils of living. It was a best first feature winner at the 2005 Venice Film Festival and a grand jury prize in the world cinema category this year at Sundance. Yet there is an obnoxious feeling to getting caught up in the drama, presented as coldly as if one were gambling at poker. The bottom line: Do you really want to see this exercise in making a game out of killing? A Palm Pictures release.
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