It marks the excellent directorial debut and vibrant visual sensibility of Camille Delamarre, who has worked as an editor on feature films, music videos and commercials, and is based on the screenplay Banlieue 13, written by Luc Besson (Lucy), who also wrote the screenplay for this crazy action-adventure, crime thriller, and human drama.
In a dystopian Detroit, abandoned homes from better times house the city's most dangerous criminals. These are the grim, apocalyptic housing projects known as Brick Mansions. Unable to control the rampant crime, the authorities have walled Brick Mansions in, supposedly to protect the rest of the city from its lawless, violent, degenerate inhabitants. In this dog-eat-dog society only the strong survive.
It has an intriguing plot that throws three of the most unlikely adversaries into a melting pot where emotions run high, the action fast, and the thrills extreme.
A ruthless, urbane, and deadly drug kingpin Tremaine, played by RZA, is at the top of the food chain. One of his recent heists puts him in the crosshairs of undercover cop Damien Collier, played by the late Paul Walker, who is fantastic as a man for whom the line between justice and revenge is razor thin.
For Damien, every day is a fight against corruption and although it isn't apparent at first, he finds an unlikely ally in one of the last good souls of Brick Mansions, Lino, played by David Belle. Stuck in the unpredictable and dangerous concrete jungle of Brick Mansions, Lino battles every day to live an honest life. A vigilante in his own right, he fights for a better overall community. Upon first meeting, their differences get the better of them and the thought of being allies seems nearly impossible. That is until Damien and Lino realise they share a mutual enemy: Tremaine.
The duo comes from completely different worlds whose paths never should have crossed. But when Tremaine kidnaps Lino's girlfriend, it sets in motion a chain of adrenaline-spiking events forcing the two to work together. Damien reluctantly accepts the help of the fearless, acrobatic ex-convict, and together they attempt to stop a sinister plot to devastate the entire city. In the process they learn that they have more in common than they initially realised. A grudging respect for one another leads to friendship as they begin to realise that what happens inside and outside of Brick Mansions is not what it seems.
Brick Mansions began in France, with the popular films District B-13 and District 13: Ultimatum.
The amazing Parkour stunts set them apart from most action films, particularly since one of the discipline's co-founders, David Belle, starred in the films. Parkour, or the art of moving through an environment as swiftly and efficiently as possible using only the human body to overcome obstacles, is as much a mind game as a series of physical feats.
This concept proved to be an exciting and compelling combination for Luc Besson, who wrote and produced both District B-13 and District 13: Ultimatum and has had incredible success with edge-of-your-seat action films such as Taken and The Transporter.
When it came time for the English retelling of the story, Besson reached out to Camille Delamarre, who was a fan of the original films and notes that their appeal was global.
Delamarre worked closely with Besson in the nascent stages of the film's development and greatly appreciated the veteran filmmaker's trust in him and guidance.
Of course, the critical connection between the American and French films is Parkour star David Belle who reprises his role in a new way, not to mention that Brick Mansions marks his first English language film.
Like many fans, Delamarre was particularly fascinated by the Parkour sequences and interested in applying this approach and philosophy to the mean streets of this futuristic American setting.
"I thought it was intriguing that Parkour takes place in an urban setting so we tried to use that to our advantage. The visual mix of stunts and physical performance in a run down, devastated urban wasteland made of concrete and decay was a really interesting combination. It is very impressive, a true spectacle done without special effects or wires, performed by non-professionals who are unafraid to jump from one roof to another. It was clear that on top of being astonishing visually and physically, Parkour is a really authentic discipline and that's what we tried to honour and show in the film. These are not superhero stunts. We tried to reflect the initial premise of Parkour, which is to perform everything for real," Delamarre says.
The banter between the Lino and Damien was offbeat and funny, which also appealed to Delamarre. The story's singular mix of action and humour is what separates it from other action films. The Parkour acrobatics coupled with hard-hitting urban visuals, a pulsing, addictive score and offbeat, character-driven comedy makes for a unique genre-tweaking, entertaining and stylised riff on the buddy-action movie.
While he was thrilled to join the production, initially Belle was not entirely prepared for it. "I had to train a lot because I hadn't done any Parkour for a while. I was in a quieter period of my life where I thought, I've done enough of that! So when Luc (Besson) called me about the film, I said, 'Wow! I have to lose 20 pounds, learn English, come up with the choreography' ... but it was worth it," Belle says.
Belle notes that Paul Walker, who he had shared the majority of his scenes and stunts with, helped ease the transition. "In other movies, I felt more confined. But Paul helped me to relax, to let go, it was a much nicer atmosphere," Belle says.
Walker, who played the undercover cop to Belle's crusader Lino, had explained that although he and Belle were born continents apart, he felt a real bond and kinship to him. The two actors learned a lot from each other during production and the result was undeniable chemistry on screen.
"If David had been born in Southern California, I would have grown up skating and surfing with him. I definitely would have seen him at the skate parks. He felt like a real Southern California boy. He has a real laid back, cool demeanour - he doesn't take himself seriously, but he takes his job very, very seriously. He was really hard on himself, which I admired and identified with. And he took a lot of physical abuse on this movie, in terms of the stunts. What he did with the Parkour was amazing and I did what I could to keep up," Walker had said.
Walker had credited his nephew with introducing him to Belle and the original film and once he saw Belle's exploits, he was mesmerised.
"Growing up in Southern California, we skated a lot and took a lot of beatings in those skate parks. We considered ourselves pretty tough guys - like a lot of those bank up sports, it required a certain degree of athleticism. My nephew told me to check out B-13. Watching David run around, doing all that crazy stuff on rooftops, breaking through windows and flips like those rodeo guys - he was incredible. After that, we spent about two hours on YouTube watching Parkour. When they asked me to do the movie and told me that David Belle was coming back, that was it. To hang out with him and soak up a little of his knowledge and what he does was a real treat," Walker had said.
In Walker, Belle had had a talented and enthusiastic student who became proficient in front flips and standing back flips. "I ultimately learned how to do a dive roll from eight feet," Walker had said proudly.
Walker had trained for the film before and during production, even tearing a meniscus along the way. "I heal pretty quickly. David and I tried throughout the film to try to find ways to make it more visually dynamic and funny, it was a great collaboration," he had said. "But there's no way I could do what he does, his ability is unbelievable. I was privileged to be around him to watch him work," Walker had said.
To achieve the feeling that the audience is in the centre of the action, Delamarre used some innovating film equipment that got the camera as close to the action as possible. "We used new devices, like drones or, as they call them in Canada, unmanned aerial vehicles. It's similar to a helicopter shot but allows you to get closer to the subject. So when you're filming a chase scene, for instance, you can follow very closely and go into confined spaces where a helicopter couldn't go," Delamarre says.
He also played with the film's speed to highlight the action by slowing it down to a split-second halt. "I tried to use slow motion often in the film. I like to pause time to have a moment where the music stops and you transcend a stunt or a punch," Delamarre explains.
Delamarre has high hopes for the film, not just because it is his first effort as a director, but because he believes Brick Mansions puts a new spin on the action genre.
"It's unique but delivers for people who love action films. It has everything - car chases, gunfights, suspense, plot-twists, excitement but also spectacle Parkour, emotion and comedy. I think it is a real shot of adrenalin that will appeal to fans of this genre."
The film drops audiences right into the middle of this concrete jungle as they follow Damien and Lino on a high octane mission to save Lola and reclaim Brick Mansions.
If its action you're looking for, this is it, with the bonus of a great story and vibrant characters that provide explosive entertainment.
Read more about Brick Mansions and other films opening this week at www.writingstudio.co.za.
