I was lucky to see this on Sunday morning in a member's preview at my local Art House cinema in Southampton - Harbour Lights.
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie and Delicatessen) this is a wonderful film full of humour, warmth and healthy redemption. Bazil's father is a Bomb Disposal Officer (very topical) and dies when a mine he is working on detonates. At the wake, young Bazil sees pictures of what was left of the mine and observes the manufacturers logo. In adult life he is the victim of a drive by shooting and is later shown a shell casing from the shooting where he observes a different manufacturers logo. One day whilst driving down the street, he notices he has stopped at place where on one side of the road is the mine manufacturer and on the other side is bullet manufacturer.
Bazil is befriended by a community of oddities who live in a reclamation site under a flyover in Paris. Each member of the community posses abilities that allows Bazil to marshal them into a team to take revenge on the arms manufacturers. What follows is a cross between Mission Impossible and Charlie Chaplin. It is full of suspense and comedy
The palette of colours used by Jeunet throughout the film adds an impact whilst being muted. The soundtrack is great. It embodies visualisation elements that draw on his previous work.
Yes it's quirky, yes it's French - but don't let any of that put you off. Go and see it.
I'll give it 8.5/10
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