"13 TZAMETI" — ** 1/2 — George Babluani; in black and white; in French, with English subtitles; not rated, probable R (violence, profanity, gore, drugs, vulgarity).
Hollywood has already announced plans to remake "13 Tzameti," a French thriller that has received raves and awards from both the Sundance and Venice film festivals. And, believe it or not, that may be good news. This is one independent hit that could probably benefit from big-budget studio treatment.
While "13 Tzameti" certainly is stylish and has a terrific premise, a rushed, disappointing ending suggests the filmmakers had no idea how to wrap up the story. But this mix of "The Most Dangerous Game," "Fight Club" and "Saw" is intriguing and has its share of tense moments.
The main character is Sebastien (George Babluani), a day worker who intercepts a letter intended for his employer (Philippe Passon). Since Sebastien hasn't been paid for home-renovation work, he decides to keep the letter, which contains a train ticket and a job offer of some sort.
After cleaning up and getting a haircut, Sebastien uses the ticket. And he immediately wishes he hadn't.
He arrives at an abandoned farmhouse only to discover that he's an unlucky contestant in a game of death. "Players" in the game each have a gun with one bullet, and the object is to spin the chamber, take aim at the player in front of you and fire.
The bullets in the guns increase as the players decrease. And the "winner" — in addition to those gambling on the outcome — is the lucky survivor.
Babluani, whose brother is screenwriter/director Gela Babluani, has the sulk and eyebrows of a silent-film star (he also bears a slight resemblance to James Franco). But his performance is a little stiff.
Also, the film probably could have ended with the conclusion of the game, but it continues for another 20 or so minutes, to include a tidy wrap-up that diminishes what's come before.
"13 Tzameti" is not rated but would probably receive an R for some strong violence (shootings and a brief scuffle), strong sexual language (including profanity and some vulgar slang terms), some gore, and drug content (mostly references and a suicidal overdose). Running time: 90 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com