‘Athena’: Incendiary new Netflix film wants to burn it all down
Within the first ten minutes of “Athena,” we witness a tense press conference that erupts into violence, an attack by angry youths on a police station, and a thrilling race back to their urban stronghold with loot. . After just one breath-taking action and mind-boggling camerawork, as they hurdle the victory, the director decides to call cut.
Karim (played by newcomer Sami Soleimani) is grieving the loss of his younger brother, who was beaten by uniformed officers – the third incident of police brutality in two months in Athena, a poor community on the outskirts of Paris. He wants a name but the police deny responsibility. Their brother Abdul (Dali Bansala, “No Time to Die”) is a soldier who pleads for peace, while eldest brother Koktor (Owasini Mbarek) is a drug dealer who fears the riots are bad for business. Will be. Kareem, meanwhile, has emerged as a figure poised to lead a generation into battle.
Shortly after the raid, the police descend on the Athena to confront the youths. Caught in the middle are their parents and extended family. The film sympathizes with them as Jerome (Anthony Bijon), a frightened officer sent into the field, questions their callousness. But mainly we’re switching to Karim’s righteous anger, unconvinced by his brothers’ interventions.
Gavras and co-authors Lodz Lai and Elias Belkidar tell the story of the siege that takes place almost entirely inside Athena’s concrete labyrinth, emphasizing the chaos of long-running skirmishes and the chaos of Krem’s makeshift plans. Is. Filmed with IMAX cameras, Molotov cocktails and Roman candles are launched into the night. Masses of corpses fill the corridors, run across rooftops and crash into each other to the sound of a baroque score.
What if the Trojan War took place in a housing estate in Paris? It may look like this. With its conflicting brothers, mythical men and epic sense of scale, “Athena” is reminiscent of ancient Greek tragedies. Yet the roots of his pain remain to this day — and are keenly felt. It’s a bravura piece of cinema from a genius behind the camera. One that inevitably draws attention to the art of war that is filmmaking itself. The supply of all this is cyclical.
“Athena” is now in select theaters and available on Netflix on September 23.
Interview: Romain Gavras, Writer-Director
Gavras, a student of music videos that include Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “No Church in the Wild,” is no stranger to capturing rebellion. But he’s never done it on this scale before — no wonder he cites epics like Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” and Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” as inspirations for “Athena.”
“There is no CGI in the film, we do everything for reality,” says Gavras. “The planning was, strangely, almost military and perfect for creating chaos in front of the camera.”
One to Stream Now: “Salaam”
Congolese filmmaker Jean-Luc Harboulot presents a lively midnight film about three mercenaries on the run in a remote corner of Senegal. Ian Gale, Roger Silla and Mentor Ba entertain as tough-guy gunslingers, but their chicken-headed behavior is tested when an unusual enemy threatens them and their gold stash. Gives. Herblot’s twisted neo-Western (a “Southern,” he calls it) packs a lot of themes and West African history into its taut runtime. The spectacle of the colonial system and the exploitation of the people and place strikes a terrifying note. Regardless, it’s good pulpy fun with a great imagination and eye-catching visual flair.
One to bookmark for later: “No Bears”
