Yamakasi
Director: Julien Seri
Year: 2001
Country: France
Rating: 6.0
This is a fun little film, part Parkour and part comedy. Very light with a guaranteed happy ending. Luc Besson was behind the script. Seven young men form a club of sorts in Paris where they practice parkour. These are guys who don't take elevators or stairs if there is wall they can climb down. The film begins with them getting up at the break of dawn and they all pick out a tall building to climb. A fear of heights is definitely a no-go in this hobby. The cops are trying to arrest them though for disturbing the peace. Hard catching guys though that can jump from building to building or ledge to ledge. It is poetry in motion.
One of the neighborhood kids tries to do it and has a bad fall. The doctors say he needs a new heart but he has to pay for it. The French medical system doesn't come off very well in this film - I thought they had a national system. Part of it is because the child is of Arab descent and isn't a priority. Neither do the cops or the government come off well. So, a bit of social commentary as well. The seven - with cool nicknames like Baseball, Sitting Bull, Tango and Rocket - decide they have to come up with the money for a new heart before 12pm. They have six hours. They divide up to steal from the rich to give to the poor. Modern Robin Hoods. They pick out a few wealthy doctors and go to their enormous homes, break in and start stealing everything that fits in their backpacks. There is some lovely parkour exhibited - when the cops come and they have to hide or to avoid the owner who comes out of the shower or two German shepherds chasing them. All clean fun but don't let your kid try this stuff at home. A number of the actors show up in Yamakasi 2 aka The Great Challenge - but the films are not connected except with parkour.
Director: Julien Seri
Year: 2001
Country: France
Rating: 6.0
This is a fun little film, part Parkour and part comedy. Very light with a guaranteed happy ending. Luc Besson was behind the script. Seven young men form a club of sorts in Paris where they practice parkour. These are guys who don't take elevators or stairs if there is wall they can climb down. The film begins with them getting up at the break of dawn and they all pick out a tall building to climb. A fear of heights is definitely a no-go in this hobby. The cops are trying to arrest them though for disturbing the peace. Hard catching guys though that can jump from building to building or ledge to ledge. It is poetry in motion.
One of the neighborhood kids tries to do it and has a bad fall. The doctors say he needs a new heart but he has to pay for it. The French medical system doesn't come off very well in this film - I thought they had a national system. Part of it is because the child is of Arab descent and isn't a priority. Neither do the cops or the government come off well. So, a bit of social commentary as well. The seven - with cool nicknames like Baseball, Sitting Bull, Tango and Rocket - decide they have to come up with the money for a new heart before 12pm. They have six hours. They divide up to steal from the rich to give to the poor. Modern Robin Hoods. They pick out a few wealthy doctors and go to their enormous homes, break in and start stealing everything that fits in their backpacks. There is some lovely parkour exhibited - when the cops come and they have to hide or to avoid the owner who comes out of the shower or two German shepherds chasing them. All clean fun but don't let your kid try this stuff at home. A number of the actors show up in Yamakasi 2 aka The Great Challenge - but the films are not connected except with parkour.
