Cast: François Cluzet, Bouli Lanners, Corinne Masiero
Director: Philippe Godeau
Country: France
Genre: Thriller
Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of the BFI London Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff and follow the event on Twitter at @bfi.
11.6 is a film of many great qualities: the screenplay is sharply written and to the point, the performance of the lead actor is satisfyingly entertaining and the direction is precise and in complement with the gloomy tone of the film. However, these commendable aspects never quite gel. In what should be a harmonious conjoining of great cinematic techniques, what results is a disjointed and frequently monotonous depiction of one of the greatest robberies of modern times: Toni Musulin’s single-handed attempt to steal €11.6 million in 2009 just across the English channel. Based on Alice Geraud-Arfi’s book of the affair, the film is helmed and adapted by Philippe Godeau who ensnares the premise within his own distinct vision for the film. Occasionally thrilling and resoundingly disappointing, 11.6 should have ticked all the boxes of a compelling and riveting thriller; unfortunately, the film stumbles in its first race and never quite manages to pick itself up.
The lack of vibrancy and color in Godeau’s fabricated world is subtly symbolic; Musulin perhaps misses such world beauty owing to his unhappy mindset, or perhaps Godeau wishes not to taint what he had hoped to be a dark and brooding urban thriller with a premise alluding to a joyous and bright nature.
The film follows the story of Toni Musulin, an introverted security guard leading a fairly discontented life with his partner and in constant conflict with his unreasonable boss. In the tedium of his monotonous lifestyle, Musulin attempts the crazed and unthinkable task of stealing €11.6 million and getting away with it, completely solitary in his efforts without the necessity of violence or weapons. Such a narrative promises to deliver entertainment on the level of a heart-pounding thriller; its fatal pace and dramatic structure problems however, prevent this from transpiring.
Godeau establishes the atmosphere of the film nicely in its opening; the unvaried color palette is grey and gloomy, very much reminiscent of the lead character’s immensely dissatisfying lifestyle. The lack of vibrancy and color in Godeau’s fabricated world is subtly symbolic; Musulin perhaps misses such world beauty owing to his unhappy mindset, or perhaps Godeau wishes not to taint what he had hoped to be a dark and brooding urban thriller with a premise alluding to a joyous and bright nature.
The dramatic structure of 11.6 revolves around a flashback and jump to present style of narrative storytelling; in theory, this should work just fine for a thriller. In 11.6, it simply results in the presentation of information to the audience long before they require it; this thoughtless action simply results in the dumbing down of any surprise the film had hoped to have in store. This narrative fatality leaves 11.6 bereft of any anticipated mystery or unpredictability; very soon after the establishment of the film, it descends into dull and monotonous tedium, becoming very difficult to watch with any level of enthusiasm.
The dramatic structure of 11.6 revolves around a flashback and jump to present style of narrative storytelling; in theory, this should work just fine for a thriller. In 11.6, it simply results in the presentation of information to the audience long before they require it.
The tone and aesthetic of 11.6 is beautifully conceived; in supplement to this, the narrative perspective is perhaps the next most interesting aspect of the film. The firm focal point of the audience is Musulin – we can’t not root for him. Godeau carefully manages to portray him as an everydayman, neither inherently evil nor blindly greedy. He is simply a man who has answered with desperate actions that a situation has called for and Godeau portrays this subtle nuance without glamourising Musulin’s ostensibly misjudged behaviour. Such a skillful flourish is a credit to a sagging film.
11.6 does not fit the bill of a typically bad film at all; on paper, it reads like a dream. In reality, its foggy intentions marked by a botched narrative structure lets down the artistic flair of Godeau’s thriller, a dire shame for a truly talented director. The narrative prevents the engagement of the audience to the film, forcing viewers to cling to characters rather than the narrative backbone. This in turn deems 11.6 underwhelming, unsatisfying and forgettable. As artistic as it is in its tone, such an achievement is of very little use when consigned to the lifeless realm of unconscious memory.
[notification type=”star”]44/100 ~ BAD. 11.6 does not fit the bill of a typically bad film at all; on paper, it reads like a dream. In reality, its foggy intentions marked by a botched narrative structure lets down the artistic flair of Godeau’s thriller, a dire shame for a truly talented director. [/notification]
