Public Enemy Part 2 and RocknRolla hit screens
While Body of Lies – a spy thriller about the war on terror starring Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio – sets out to conquer Belgian audiences on a 50-print run, a selection of dark, European films is hitting screens.
After his popular and critically acclaimed first instalment, Jean-François Richet is back with Public Enemy Number One (Part 2) [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which looks at the controversial death of legendary French gangster Jacques Mesrine.
Public Enemy Number One (Part 1) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] attracted 50,000 viewers. The sequel – released by Kinepolis on 21 screens – should be able to entice back audiences won over by the first instalment, even if it proves difficult to draw new fans.
Another era, another set of gangsters: Guy Ritchie returns with his new film, RocknRolla [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which arouses a sense of déjà vu and centres on a gang of bruisers from London’s seedy underbelly.
Having changed direction in 2003 with the spectacular box office flop Swept Away (starring Madonna), followed by the unsuccessful Revolver, it’s not certain that Ritchie will receive a better response with RocknRolla. The film – produced by UK company Toff Guy Films – is being launched on 12 screens.
Finally, in this period of abundant Belgian releases, another domestic title is hitting screens. Co-produced by Belgium’s Saga Films and France’s Dolce Vita, Taylan Barman’s debut solo feature, 9mm, is a social drama about loneliness and the inability to communicate.
Barman first rose to attention in 2002 when he co-wrote Au-delà de Gibraltar (“Beyond Gibraltar”) with Mourad Boucif (who recently won an award for his documentary The Colour of Sacrifice, and whose debut narrative feature, Silver Tears, is in post-production).
9mm was shot in Lille and received backing from the CRRAV, French Community of BelgiumVlaams Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and RTBF. Imagine are releasing the film on five screens, including one in Gand.
(Translated from French)
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